Key Stats
Revenue (2024): $10.28 billion
Market Cap: $38 billion (as of November 2025)
Active Buyers: 134 million worldwide
Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA
Employees: 11,500 globally
eBay Inc operates as one of the largest online marketplaces in the world. The company connects millions of buyers and sellers across 190 markets, enabling transactions through auction-style and fixed-price listings.
Pierre Omidyar founded eBay in September 1995 as AuctionWeb. The platform started as a small experiment and grew into a global e-commerce giant. Today, eBay facilitates approximately $75 billion in gross merchandise volume annually.
The San Jose-based company has evolved beyond its auction roots to become a major player in secondhand goods, collectibles, and refurbished electronics. CEO Jamie Iannone leads the company’s focus on enthusiast categories and circular commerce.
eBay History
1995
Pierre Omidyar launched AuctionWeb from his San Jose home on September 3. The first item sold was a broken laser pointer for $14.83. The site ran as part of Omidyar’s personal website.
1997
The company officially renamed itself eBay in September after the Echo Bay domain was taken. Benchmark Capital invested $6.7 million in venture funding. The site hosted 2 million auctions in January alone.
1998
Meg Whitman joined as CEO in March. eBay went public on September 21 with shares priced at $18, closing at $53.50 on the first trading day. Omidyar and Skoll became instant billionaires.
2002
eBay acquired PayPal for $1.5 billion in October. This purchase unified the marketplace with a leading payment processor and became one of the most successful acquisitions in e-commerce history.
2005
eBay purchased Skype for $2.6 billion to enhance buyer-seller communication. The acquisition was later deemed unsuccessful, and eBay sold Skype to private investors in 2009 for $2.75 billion.
2015
PayPal spun off from eBay as an independent publicly traded company in July. The separation allowed both companies to focus on their core businesses and pursue different strategic directions.
2020
Jamie Iannone became CEO in April. eBay sold StubHub to Viagogo for $4.05 billion in February. The COVID-19 pandemic drove significant growth in online marketplace activity.
2024
eBay reported $10.28 billion in revenue with $74.7 billion in gross merchandise volume. The company focused on enthusiast categories including watches, sneakers, and trading cards with authentication services.
eBay Co-founders
Pierre Omidyar
French-born Iranian-American computer programmer who founded AuctionWeb (later eBay) on September 3, 1995. Omidyar created the auction site as a side project while working at his consulting firm, Echo Bay Technology Group.
Jeffrey Skoll
Canadian entrepreneur who joined eBay as its first president in early 1996. Skoll wrote the company’s business plan and helped transform the small auction site into a scalable e-commerce platform.
eBay Competitors
eBay competes against major e-commerce platforms for buyers and sellers. Amazon dominates the U.S. market with 37.6% share, while eBay holds a smaller but dedicated position in the secondhand and collectibles space.
| Company | Headquarters | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Seattle, Washington | General e-commerce, cloud services |
| Etsy | Brooklyn, New York | Handmade goods, vintage items |
| Mercari | Tokyo, Japan | Mobile-first resale marketplace |
| Poshmark | Redwood City, California | Fashion, social commerce |
| Depop | London, United Kingdom | Gen Z fashion, vintage clothing |
| Alibaba | Hangzhou, China | B2B and B2C e-commerce |
| Facebook Marketplace | Menlo Park, California | Local peer-to-peer sales |
| Walmart Marketplace | Bentonville, Arkansas | Third-party seller platform |
| Rakuten | Tokyo, Japan | Japanese e-commerce ecosystem |
| Bonanza | Seattle, Washington | Small business marketplace |
eBay Revenue
eBay generated $10.28 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2024. This represented a 1.69% increase from the previous year. The company has maintained relatively stable revenue since spinning off PayPal in 2015.
eBay Market Cap
eBay holds a market capitalization of approximately $38 billion as of November 2025. The company’s valuation has fluctuated over the past decade, with significant changes following the PayPal spin-off and market conditions.
eBay Acquisitions
eBay has completed over 60 acquisitions since 1998 to expand its e-commerce ecosystem. The company’s strategy focused on payments, communications, ticketing, and technology capabilities through strategic purchases.
The 2002 acquisition of PayPal for $1.5 billion stands as one of e-commerce’s most successful deals. PayPal processed the majority of eBay transactions and grew into a global payments giant before spinning off as an independent company in 2015.
Half.com joined eBay in 2000 for $374 million, bringing fixed-price listings for books and media. This purchase introduced a simpler buying format that complemented eBay’s auction model and attracted mainstream consumers.
The 2005 Skype acquisition for $2.6 billion aimed to enhance buyer-seller communication for high-value transactions. However, the integration never delivered expected synergies. eBay sold Skype in 2009 for $2.75 billion to private investors, who later sold it to Microsoft for $8.5 billion.
StubHub came to eBay in 2007 for $310 million and grew into the largest online ticket marketplace. eBay sold StubHub to Viagogo for $4.05 billion in 2020, demonstrating the value created under eBay ownership.
GSI Commerce joined eBay in 2011 for $2.4 billion, adding enterprise e-commerce services. Braintree followed in 2013 for $800 million, bringing Venmo and mobile payment technology to the PayPal portfolio.
Recent acquisitions focus on authentication and specialized marketplaces. eBay purchased Sneaker Con’s authentication business in 2021, TCGPlayer for trading cards, KnownOrigin for NFTs in 2022, and Certilogo for luxury authentication in 2023. These deals support eBay’s strategy around trusted transactions in enthusiast categories.
FAQs
Who founded eBay?
Pierre Omidyar founded eBay on September 3, 1995, in San Jose, California. He created the auction site as AuctionWeb from his home. Jeffrey Skoll joined as the first president in 1996.
What does eBay sell?
eBay connects buyers and sellers for virtually any legal product. The platform specializes in collectibles, electronics, fashion, auto parts, and secondhand goods through auction and fixed-price listings.
Where is eBay headquarters located?
eBay is headquartered in San Jose, California, where Pierre Omidyar originally founded the company. The company maintains offices worldwide to support operations across 190 markets.
How many active buyers does eBay have?
eBay has 134 million active buyers worldwide as of 2024. The platform connects these buyers with approximately 17 million sellers and 2.4 billion active listings.
What is eBay revenue?
eBay generated $10.28 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2024. The company earns money through seller fees, promoted listings advertising, and payment processing services.