Marc Ostrofsky
Encyclopedia
Marc Ostrofsky is the New York Times Bestselling author of Get Rich Click!: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money Online. The book was #1 on USA TODAY Bestselling books, #1 on the Wall Street Journal Bestselling business books list, #1 on Barnes & Noble as well as #1 Amazon.com in multiple categories.
Ostrofsky has made multiple appearances in mainstream media including ABC's Better TV. He also appeared on CBS News May 21, 2011. On June 9, 2011, he was featured on The View with his book Get Rich Click.
Before writing his first book, Ostrofsky was a "domain name" investor
, who has been called a "Technology Wildcatter" in the Houston Business Journal. His venture capital
firm has created a number of successful telecommunication
, publishing
and internet
based companies. He is the co-founder of hundreds of web properties. He was a founder in Internet REIT (iREIT) (also known as www.iREIT.com), which acquires, develops and sells internet traffic "wholesale" to Google
for them to resell to others on a "PayPerClick" basis with partners Ross Perot
and Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks
.
He is known for his record sale of Business.com
in 1999 for $7.5 million to eCompanies which landed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive domain name ever sold, although the final value of the sale was closer to $2 million in cash and stock. Business.com was sold in 2008 for $345 million which landed Ostrofsky another windfall. He coined the phrase "Domain names and web sites are the real estate of the Internet" when he bought Business.com for $150,000 in the mid 90's, which had been the most money ever paid for a domain name
at that time.
Ostrofsky founded five high tech Internet and telecommunications magazines and a dozen technology trade shows, which were later sold to Advanstar Publishing for $8,000,000. He then created and sold Multimedia Publishing Corporation (another firm holding magazines, trade shows and web sites) to Primedia
(NYSE: PRM) for $35,000,000.
He currently owns operating web sites including eTickets.com, CuffLinks.com, SummerCamps.com and is a major shareholder and board member in Blinds.com, a $74 Million a year web site selling window blinds and window covering
s. Blinds.com was ranked #186 on the Internet Retailer 500, and was the 10th fastest growing site on the list. He coined the term "Domain Names are Internet Real Estate" and owns some of the best domain names in the world including Bachelor.com, MutualFunds.com, Photographer.com, Consulting.com, HeartDisease.com, BeautyProducts.com, TechToys.com, and over 500 other top level domains.
He was one of the early pioneers and founders of the voice mail/voice processing market, the private pay phone market, the operator services market, the telecom reseller & VOIP market and the prepaid telephone card market in the United States.
Ostrofsky donated a sculpture to the City of Houston that now resides at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Terminal B, Houston, Texas.
Prior to these ventures, Ostrofsky organized several internet and telecommunications magazine
s and technology trade shows. The assets of Information Publishing Corporation were later sold to Advanstar Publishing, and the assets of his next venture, MultiMedia Publishing Corporation were later sold to Primedia.
He also founded www.idNames.com, an international domain name registry
service that was sold to Network Solutions
, and is now a division of VeriSign
.
Ostrofsky has been interviewed on major television networks, newspapers and wire services. He is a professional speaker domestically and internationally on entrepreneurship on the internet. He was a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and was the initial creator of the Internet Commerce Association (ICA).
Ostrofsky has identical twin daughters, Kelly and Shelly, who graduated co-valedictorians of their high school which got them on the front page of the Houston Chronicle and USA TODAY with President George Bush. Ostrofsky has a third daughter who is a few years younger. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin
with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a major in Marketing.
Ostrofsky has made multiple appearances in mainstream media including ABC's Better TV. He also appeared on CBS News May 21, 2011. On June 9, 2011, he was featured on The View with his book Get Rich Click.
Before writing his first book, Ostrofsky was a "domain name" investor
Investor
An investor is a party that makes an investment into one or more categories of assets --- equity, debt securities, real estate, currency, commodity, derivatives such as put and call options, etc...
, who has been called a "Technology Wildcatter" in the Houston Business Journal. His venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
firm has created a number of successful telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
, publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
and internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
based companies. He is the co-founder of hundreds of web properties. He was a founder in Internet REIT (iREIT) (also known as www.iREIT.com), which acquires, develops and sells internet traffic "wholesale" to Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
for them to resell to others on a "PayPerClick" basis with partners Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
and Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
.
He is known for his record sale of Business.com
Business.com
Business.com is a business search engine and web directory and pay per click advertising network. It includes Work.com, a business-to-business community publishing platform where experts share advice on common business topics in the form of how-to guides....
in 1999 for $7.5 million to eCompanies which landed in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most expensive domain name ever sold, although the final value of the sale was closer to $2 million in cash and stock. Business.com was sold in 2008 for $345 million which landed Ostrofsky another windfall. He coined the phrase "Domain names and web sites are the real estate of the Internet" when he bought Business.com for $150,000 in the mid 90's, which had been the most money ever paid for a domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
at that time.
Ostrofsky founded five high tech Internet and telecommunications magazines and a dozen technology trade shows, which were later sold to Advanstar Publishing for $8,000,000. He then created and sold Multimedia Publishing Corporation (another firm holding magazines, trade shows and web sites) to Primedia
Primedia
PRIMEDIA Inc. is privately held American media company fully owned by TPG Capital.Consumer Source Inc. is the sole operating division of PRIMEDIA and helps millions of consumers find apartments, houses for rent, and new homes for sale through its Internet, mobile, and print products...
(NYSE: PRM) for $35,000,000.
He currently owns operating web sites including eTickets.com, CuffLinks.com, SummerCamps.com and is a major shareholder and board member in Blinds.com, a $74 Million a year web site selling window blinds and window covering
Window covering
Window coverings are material used to cover a window to manage sunlight, to provide additional weatherproofing, to ensure privacy or for purely decorative purposes....
s. Blinds.com was ranked #186 on the Internet Retailer 500, and was the 10th fastest growing site on the list. He coined the term "Domain Names are Internet Real Estate" and owns some of the best domain names in the world including Bachelor.com, MutualFunds.com, Photographer.com, Consulting.com, HeartDisease.com, BeautyProducts.com, TechToys.com, and over 500 other top level domains.
He was one of the early pioneers and founders of the voice mail/voice processing market, the private pay phone market, the operator services market, the telecom reseller & VOIP market and the prepaid telephone card market in the United States.
Ostrofsky donated a sculpture to the City of Houston that now resides at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Terminal B, Houston, Texas.
Prior to these ventures, Ostrofsky organized several internet and telecommunications magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s and technology trade shows. The assets of Information Publishing Corporation were later sold to Advanstar Publishing, and the assets of his next venture, MultiMedia Publishing Corporation were later sold to Primedia.
He also founded www.idNames.com, an international domain name registry
Domain name registry
A domain name registry is a database of all domain names registered in a top-level domain. A registry operator, also called a network information center , is the part of the Domain Name System of the Internet that keeps the database of domain names, and generates the zone files which convert...
service that was sold to Network Solutions
Network Solutions
Network Solutions, LLC is a technology company founded in 1979. The domain name registration business has become the most important division of the company. As of January 2009, Network Solutions managed more than 6.6 million domain names.-History:...
, and is now a division of VeriSign
VeriSign
Verisign, Inc. is an American company based in Dulles, Virginia that operates a diverse array of network infrastructure, including two of the Internet's thirteen root nameservers, the authoritative registry for the .com, .net, and .name generic top-level domains and the .cc and .tv country-code...
.
Ostrofsky has been interviewed on major television networks, newspapers and wire services. He is a professional speaker domestically and internationally on entrepreneurship on the internet. He was a member of the National Speakers Association (NSA) and was the initial creator of the Internet Commerce Association (ICA).
Ostrofsky has identical twin daughters, Kelly and Shelly, who graduated co-valedictorians of their high school which got them on the front page of the Houston Chronicle and USA TODAY with President George Bush. Ostrofsky has a third daughter who is a few years younger. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a major in Marketing.
External links
- Forbes Interview
- The Name Game by Robert A Mamis, Inc. Magazine, May 15, 2000
- Teen Business Forum Interview
- http://www.maverickmoneymakersplus.com