For a buck a pixel, Brit kid nets nearly $1 million

Itsme · 12-29-2005, 04:24 PM

For a buck a pixel, Brit kid nets nearly $1 million

By Reuters

Published: December 29, 2005, 2:11 PM PST

If you have an envious streak, you probably shouldn't read this.

Because chances are good that Alex Tew, a 21-year-old student from a small town in England, is more clever than you. And he is proving it by earning a cool million dollars in four months on the Internet.

Selling porn? Dealing prescription drugs? Nope. All he sells are pixels, the tiny dots on the screen that appear when you call up his home page.

He had the brainstorm for his million dollar home page, called, logically enough, www.milliondollarhomepage.com, while lying in bed thinking out how he would pay for university.

The idea: turn his home page into a billboard made up of a million dots, and sell them for a dollar a dot to anyone who wants to put up their logo. A square of 10-by-10 pixels, roughly the size of a letter of type, costs $100.

He sold a few to his brothers and some friends. When he had made $1,000, he issued a press release that was picked up by the news media and spread around the Internet.

Soon advertisers for everything from dating sites to casinos to real estate agents to The Times of London were putting up real cash for pixels with links to their own sites. So far they have bought up 911,800 pixels.

Tew's home page now looks like an online Times Square, festooned with a multicolored confetti of ads.

"All the money's kind of sitting in a bank account," Tew told Reuters from his home in Wiltshire, southwest England. "I've treated myself to a car. I've only just passed my driving test so I've bought myself a little black mini."

The site features testimonials from advertisers, some of whom bought spots as a lark, only to discover that they were receiving actual valuable Web hits for a fraction of the cost of traditional Internet advertising.

Meanwhile Tew has had to juggle running the site with his first term at university, where he is studying business.

"It's been quite a difficulty trying to balance going to lectures and doing the site," he said.

But he may not have to study for long. Job offers have been coming in from Internet companies impressed by a young man who managed to figure out an original way to make money online.

"I didn't expect it to happen like that," Tew said. "To have the job offers and approaches from investors--the whole thing is kind of surreal. I'm still in a state of disbelief."

BigJon · 12-29-2005, 06:14 PM

I wish I had that idea...

hoey222 · 12-29-2005, 06:27 PM

just read that - i should start a page like that so i can buy a harley.......

Grimm · 12-29-2005, 06:50 PM

It's the kind of idea that will work once. Pure genius.

Cheesypuff · 12-29-2005, 07:22 PM

http://forums.gotapex.com/showthread.php?t=93888

and the repost police attacks again!!!!

bachviet · 12-29-2005, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigJon

I wish I had that idea...

shocky123 · 12-30-2005, 01:44 AM

ughh... seriously now...

sheesh

*runs off to buy pixels*

~Kyle

zero2dash · 12-30-2005, 08:49 AM

That site is an ADD patient's nightmare. (Or dream, depending upon how you look at it.)

attgig · 01-03-2006, 10:13 PM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ME:L:LCA:UK:31

auctioning off the last of them!

He'll make that million yet!

brainsmile · 01-03-2006, 10:27 PM

I won!

12-29-2005, 04:24 PM	#1
Itsme Vice Admiral Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Southern California Posts: 4,813	For a buck a pixel, Brit kid nets nearly $1 million For a buck a pixel, Brit kid nets nearly $1 million By Reuters Published: December 29, 2005, 2:11 PM PST If you have an envious streak, you probably shouldn't read this. Because chances are good that Alex Tew, a 21-year-old student from a small town in England, is more clever than you. And he is proving it by earning a cool million dollars in four months on the Internet. Selling porn? Dealing prescription drugs? Nope. All he sells are pixels, the tiny dots on the screen that appear when you call up his home page. He had the brainstorm for his million dollar home page, called, logically enough, www.milliondollarhomepage.com, while lying in bed thinking out how he would pay for university. The idea: turn his home page into a billboard made up of a million dots, and sell them for a dollar a dot to anyone who wants to put up their logo. A square of 10-by-10 pixels, roughly the size of a letter of type, costs $100. He sold a few to his brothers and some friends. When he had made $1,000, he issued a press release that was picked up by the news media and spread around the Internet. Soon advertisers for everything from dating sites to casinos to real estate agents to The Times of London were putting up real cash for pixels with links to their own sites. So far they have bought up 911,800 pixels. Tew's home page now looks like an online Times Square, festooned with a multicolored confetti of ads. "All the money's kind of sitting in a bank account," Tew told Reuters from his home in Wiltshire, southwest England. "I've treated myself to a car. I've only just passed my driving test so I've bought myself a little black mini." The site features testimonials from advertisers, some of whom bought spots as a lark, only to discover that they were receiving actual valuable Web hits for a fraction of the cost of traditional Internet advertising. Meanwhile Tew has had to juggle running the site with his first term at university, where he is studying business. "It's been quite a difficulty trying to balance going to lectures and doing the site," he said. But he may not have to study for long. Job offers have been coming in from Internet companies impressed by a young man who managed to figure out an original way to make money online. "I didn't expect it to happen like that," Tew said. "To have the job offers and approaches from investors--the whole thing is kind of surreal. I'm still in a state of disbelief."

12-29-2005, 06:14 PM	#2
BigJon Vice Admiral Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: In the kitchen...skinning onions... Posts: 4,946	I wish I had that idea... __________________

12-29-2005, 06:27 PM	#3
hoey222 Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: a little more to the left Posts: 2,426	just read that - i should start a page like that so i can buy a harley....... __________________ i have become comfortably numb......

12-29-2005, 07:22 PM	#5
Cheesypuff Vice Admiral Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Cali, but missing Hong Kong and Texas Posts: 4,782	http://forums.gotapex.com/showthread.php?t=93888 and the repost police attacks again!!!! __________________ Life is like toilet paper, long and useful! The stars at night, are big and bright clap 4x deep in the heart of TEXAS!

12-30-2005, 01:44 AM	#7
shocky123 Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ames, Iowa Posts: 828	ughh... seriously now... sheesh runs off to buy pixels ~Kyle __________________ "me awaits onslaught of estrogen fury." -CornMonkey "5. When your friend dates a woman that is absolutely terrible for him, and she's wrecking his life, it's your duty to openly hate her, and point out how evil she is." -ialsohaveadream

12-29-2005, 06:50 PM	#4
Grimm 100% Pure Evil Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 7,861	It's the kind of idea that will work once. Pure genius.

12-30-2005, 08:49 AM	#8
zero2dash Commander Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Fenton, MO - but I wish I was at the beach. ANY beach. Posts: 1,367	That site is an ADD patient's nightmare. (Or dream, depending upon how you look at it.)

01-03-2006, 10:13 PM	#9
attgig Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: the burbs of baltimore Posts: 11,924	http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...ME:L:LCA:UK:31 auctioning off the last of them! He'll make that million yet! __________________

01-03-2006, 10:27 PM	#10
brainsmile Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: woah... why is welfareloser here with me so early in the morning and more importantly why am I wearing her clothes?!? Posts: 13,754	I won! __________________ ********************************** DCM #1 (Founder) "Nobody beats Vitus Gerulaitis 18 times in a row." - Vitus Gerulaitis on beating Jimmy Connors after 17 failed attempts.

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