When it first began, the internet was a mysterious thing that nobody really knew how to use. It was restricted to email, poorly designed web pages and, eventually, cat videos. But those days are long gone and now we have learned to harness the power of the internet in so many ways. Not only do we have the ability to communicate with people all around the world at our fingertips, but we can use it to create revolutionary things and even earn money. There are so many ways that the internet has helped to turn regular people into millionaires, so let’s take a look at some of the best rags to riches stories achieved with the use of the internet.
Satoshi Nakamoto, a Mysterious Creator
Some of you may not know this name, but you have definitely heard of Satoshi’s legacy. Nakamoto is the creator of the famous Bitcoin, the online cryptocurrency which has transformed the way people use money. Last year, Bitcoin climbed to even higher levels of success by nearly doubling in value in just one month and with its continuing success worldwide, you’ll struggle to find someone who hasn’t heard of Bitcoin. However, Nakamoto himself is relatively unknown. This man is shrouded in mystery as nobody really knows who he actually is, although he is thought to be sitting on a fortune of almost $6 million, according to Bitcoin firm RSK.co. In 2013, RSK traced an account which held a whopping 980,000 individual Bitcoins to a man named Satoshi Nakamoto, who is believed to be the creator of the cryptocurrency. However, nobody knows if this is truly the creator of if Nakamoto is even his (or her, or their) real name. Still, whoever Satoshi is, we can be sure that he has carved out a very wealthy position for himself as well as a legacy that has changed the future of money as we know it.
Aleksy Krupnyk, the First eSports Pro
Playing video games has been a hobby for people ever since the first computers were released, but they have always been just that: a hobby. Well, not any more, as Aleksy Krupnyk from Odessa, Ukraine has managed to make online gaming into a very lucrative career. Through eSport gaming, he has made thousands and thousands of dollars, and it all began back in 2003, when he won his first eSports competition where his prize was a laptop which he sold for $1430. Over the years, eSports kept gaining in popularity and Krupnyk was competing with players all around the world and raking in up to $33,500 in competition winnings and around $2000 per month from sponsors alone. eSports is continuing to grow in popularity and has expanded into more mainstream forms of entertainment, with sponsorships for online gamers on streaming sites such as Twitch.tv and mainstream betting sites such as Betway offering odds on eSports players and tournaments. It is an exciting time for eSports players and it will be interesting to see even more people making their fortunes by playing video games!
Adam Cahan, a Start-up Success
Young entrepreneur Adam Cahan was following the same dream as millions of ambitious dreamers who want to make their big idea a reality. His story is a tale of whirlwind success, he began his company IntoNow, a social network mobile app which helps users to identify a television program and displays information on it. The app was a huge success from the start, and within three months Cahan sold the company to Yahoo! for an estimated $20-$30 million. Not only did he ensure that the seven people team kept their jobs, but he now also works for Yahoo! as the Senior Vice President of Mobile and Emerging Products. His story is inspiring to everyone with an innovative idea and a big dream.
Becoming financially successful requires a lot of hard work, discipline and just a little bit of luck, and the Internet has proven to be a very useful, if not essential tool to being a successful innovator.