Jeffrey Skoll
Jeff Skoll (together with Meg Ryan) 2007
Born	January 16, 1965
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Former President of eBay, movie producer
Children	None

Jeffrey Skoll (born January 16, 1965) is a Canadian born businessman who lives in Los Angeles, California.^[1] He was the second employee and first president of internet auction firm eBay, and used the wealth this gave him to become a philanthropist and to found the independent movie production company Participant Productions. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... Meg Ryan (born November 19, 1961) is a questionable American actress who specializes in romantic comedies, but has also worked in other film genres. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... eBay headquarters in San Jose eBay North First Street satellite office campus (home to PayPal) eBay Inc. ... In the entertainment industry, a producer is generally in charge of, or helps to coordinate, the financial, legal, administrative, technological, and artistic aspects of a production. ... is the 16th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ... A businessman (sometimes businesswoman, female; or businessperson, gender neutral) is a generic term for a wide range of people engaged in profit-oriented enterprises, generally the management of a company. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... eBay headquarters in San Jose eBay North First Street satellite office campus (home to PayPal) eBay Inc. ... Participant Productions is a relatively new movie studio, whose initial movies have gained critical acclaim, and major film awards. ...

Early life

Jeff Skoll was born in Montreal, Quebec^[2], his mother a teacher ^[3] and his father a chemical company owner who sold industrial chemicals^[4] This article needs cleanup. ...

Following the 1976 election of the Separatist Parti Québécois as the government of the Province of Quebec, like more than 400,000 other Anglo-Quebecers, Skoll's family decided to leave Quebec.^{[Neutrality disputed — See talk page]} The family settled in Toronto. The Quebec general election of 1976 was held on November 15, 1976 to elect members to National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. ... The Quebec sovereignty movement (French: Mouvement souverainiste du Québec) is a political movement aimed at attaining independent statehood (sovereignty) for the Canadian province of Quebec. ... The Parti Québécois (PQ) is a political party that advocates national sovereignty for the Canadian province of Quebec and secession from Canada, as well as social democratic policies and has traditionally had support from the labour movement. ... This article describes the Canadian province. ... Anglo-Quebecers (also Anglo-Quebeckers) are English-speaking (anglophone) residents of the primarily French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area  Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² (595... Shortcut: WP:NPOV Wikipedia policy is that all articles should be written from a neutral point of view. ...

When Jeff Skoll was fourteen his father was diagnosed with cancer which prompted him to discuss with his son how much he regretted not having had the time to do everything he had planned in life. A keen reader, Skoll was influenced by authors such as Aldous Huxley and Ayn Rand and intended to become an author writing motivational books and books on tackling the world's problems. Cancer is a class of diseases or disorders characterized by uncontrolled division of cells and the ability of these to spread, either by direct growth into adjacent tissue through invasion, or by implantation into distant sites by metastasis (where cancer cells are transported through the bloodstream or lymphatic system). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Ayn Rand (IPA: , February 2 [O.S. January 20] 1905 – March 6, 1982), born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum (Russian: ), was a Russian-born American novelist and philosopher,[1] best known for developing Objectivism and for writing the novels We the Living, The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged and the novella Anthem. ...

He graduated with a B.A.Sc. with honours in 1987 from the University of Toronto's electrical engineering program. While an undergraduate student, he co-edited the engineering students' satirical newspaper The Toike Oike. He paid his way through college by pumping gas in North York, Ontario. After graduating he backpacked around the world for several months before returning and founding two businesses in Toronto: Skoll Engineering, an information technology consulting firm and Micros on the Move Ltd., a computer rental firm. Those businesses did poorly so he decided to improve his business skills with further study. A Bachelor of Applied Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course of study that generally lasts three years in the United Kingdom, and four to five years in Canada and the United States. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Electrical Engineers design power systems… … and complex electronic circuits. ... North York forms the central part of the northern half of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... Information and communication technology spending in 2005 Information technology (IT), as defined by the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), is the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. ...

He left Canada in 1993 to study a Masters of Business Administration at Stanford Business School, graduating in 1995. After Stanford he went to work at Knight-Ridder where he was working on internet projects for the publishing company. Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a tertiary degree in business management. ... Stanford Graduate School of Business, also known as Stanford Business School or Stanford GSB, is one of the top business schools in the world, and part of Stanford University. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Knight Ridder building in downtown San Jose, California. ...

Skoll's eBay era

In 1996 Skoll met eBay's founder Pierre Omidyar who hired him as the company's first president and second full-time employee. While eBay was already profitable at the time Skoll joined, he wrote the business plan that eBay followed from its emergence as a start-up to a great success. He remained President until the arrival of Meg Whitman in January 1998 when he became Vice President, Strategic Planning and Analysis until back problems necessitated his departure from full-time employment at the company. In 1998, he championed the creation of the eBay Foundation which was allocated pre-IPO stock now worth $32 million. Once eBay's second largest stockholder (behind only Omidyar) he subsequently cashed out a portion of the company, yielding him around $2 billion ^[5][3]. eBay headquarters in San Jose eBay North First Street satellite office campus (home to PayPal) eBay Inc. ... Pierre M. Omidyar (born 21 June 1967) is an Iranian French American entrepreneur and philanthropist/economist, and the founder/chairman of the eBay auction site. ... A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. ... Margaret C. Whitman (born August 4, 1956) has been the President and CEO of the online marketplace eBay since March 1998. ... A vice president is an officer in government or business who is next in rank below a president. ...

Participant Productions

Skoll is also the CEO of Participant Productions, a Los Angeles based media company he created to fund feature films and documentaries that promote social values while still being commercially viable. Its first three films were Syriana, Good Night, and Good Luck, and North Country along with the documentary Murderball. These films accounted for 11 Oscar nominations in 2006. Subsequent films included An Inconvenient Truth, American Gun, Fast Food Nation, and The World According to Sesame Street. An Inconvenient Truth won two Oscars in 2007 and has been credited with extending the public debate over climate change. Further films for 2007 include Charlie Wilson's War with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, The Kite Runner directed by Marc Forster, An Indifferent World about Darfur with Don Cheadle, The Chicago 10 based on the 1968 Democratic convention protests and Angels in the Dust about an AIDS orphanage in South Africa. Participant Productions is a relatively new movie studio, whose initial movies have gained critical acclaim, and major film awards. ... Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... Syriana is a 2005 Academy Award-winning geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan. ... Good Night, and Good Luck is a 2005 film by George Clooney about the conflict between journalist Edward R. Murrow and anti-communist Senator Joseph McCarthy and the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. ... North Country is the name of an Academy Award-nominated film directed by Niki Caro and released in 2005. ... Murderball is a tag game that is commonly played on schoolgrounds. ... An Inconvenient Truth is an Academy Award-winning documentary film about climate change, specifically global warming, presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore and directed by Davis Guggenheim. ... American Gun is a movie produced by Participant Productions, IFC Films, IFC First Take, and Spirit Dance Entertainment. ... Fast Food Nation, paperback edition Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (2001) is a book by investigative journalist Eric Schlosser that examines the local and global influence of the United States fast food industry. ... The World According to Sesame Street is a 2005 feature-length documentary created by Participant Productions, looking at the cultural impact of the childrens television series Sesame Street, and the complexities of creating international adaptations. ... An Inconvenient Truth is an Academy Award-winning documentary film about climate change, specifically global warming, presented by former United States Vice President Al Gore and directed by Davis Guggenheim. ... Charlie Wilsons War is a forthcoming drama film about Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, who conspired with a rogue CIA operation to launch an operative to help Afghans in their fight against Soviet invaders. ... This article is about the novel. ... Angels in the Dust is a documentary film about Boikarabelo (formerly Botshabelo Community Development Trust), an orphanage in South Africa that cares for children who have been orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. ...

Philanthropies

Skoll is a noted philanthropist and has been honoured several times for his generosity. In 2003 he was given an honorary doctor of laws degree by the University of Toronto. He gave the eponymous Skoll Foundation $250 million of eBay stock. The Foundation supports "social entrepreneurship." Skoll chairs the Foundation and today makes grants in excess of $30M per year. The Skoll Foundation's assets rank it as the largest foundation for Social Entrepreneurship in the world. A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, or reputation to a charitable cause. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. ...

Skoll's largest charitable donation was a $7.5 million contribution to endow the first Canadian dual degree program for gifted students where they obtain a Bachelors degree in Engineering and an MBA in a special program of six years and eight months at the University of Toronto. He has also funded the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, at Said Business School, Oxford University, which undertakes research in social entrepreneurship, co-ordinates the Skoll World Forum and provides scholarships for the Oxford MBA program to five young social entrepreneurs. EMBA redirects here; for the Mutation Mink Breeders Association, see American Legend Cooperative The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a masters degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ...

Skoll is on the board of directors of the eBay Foundation and the Community Foundation Silicon Valley, the Advisory board of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and several other community organizations. Stanford GSB The Stanford Graduate School of Business (also known as Stanford Business School or Stanford GSB) is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California. ...

Skoll's recent honors and awards include Time Magazine's 100 People of the Year (2006), Wired Magazine's Rave Award (2006), the National Leadership Award for Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley (2004) and the Outstanding Philanthropist Award from the International Association of Fundraising Professionals (2003). In 2003, Skoll was the commencement speaker and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto. Doctor of Laws (Latin: Legum Doctor, LL.D) is a doctorate-level academic degree in law. ... The University of Toronto (U of T) is a coeducational public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. ...

In addition, Skoll has financed The Gandhi Project in partnership with Relief International which created a dubbed version in Arabic of the film Gandhi. They used Palestinian voice actors and artists to make the film particularly relevant to Palestinians. With Skoll's support, it is being screened throughout Palestine to promote non-violence, self-reliance, economic development, and empowerment. Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Gandhi (1982) is a multi-award-winning biopic film about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (often known as Mahatma Gandhi), who was leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th century. ...

Other interests

Skoll has paid a deposit on a Tesla Roadster from Tesla Motors. It is a battery electric sportscar with a 250 mile range. He will be among the first hundred owners.^[6] He is also an investor in the company. The Tesla Roadster is the first fully electric automobile to be produced by electric car firm Tesla Motors. ... Tesla Motors, Inc. ... The Toyota RAV4 EV was powered by twenty-four 12 volt batteries, with an operational cost equivalent of over 165 miles per gallon at 2005 US gasoline prices. ...

See also

• List of billionaires

Forbes magazine annually lists the worlds wealthiest individuals: The Worlds Billionaries. ...

References

General references

• The Observer - Hollywood's new politics Gaby Wood, January 8, 2006
• Forbes - The World's Richest People February 13, 2006

Specific references

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ biography, The History of Computing Project
3. ^ ^{a b} "The thinking man's movie mogul", Telegraph Magazine 26 August 2006
4. ^ The Perfect Store: Inside Ebay, Adam Cohen, ISBN 0-316-16493-3
5. ^ "The indie movie mogul", Michael S. Malone, Wired magazine, February 2006
6. ^ http://www.teslamotors.com/media/press_room.php?id=29

is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Participant Productions
• Skoll Foundation
• Social Edge, an online program run by the Skoll Foundation for social entrepreneurs
• Forbes.com: Forbes World's Richest People 2004
• Jeffrey Skoll at IMDb