Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Rises to Become World’s Second Wealthiest Person

March 31, 2017March 31, 2017 / Numeed Staff / Leave a comment

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes watched Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos become the 2nd wealthiest person in the world amid a rise in Amazon stock.

Amazon’s stock rose $18.32 after Amazon announced their plans to acquire another online commerce site, Souq, described as the largest e-commerce website in the Arab world.

According to Bloomberg, the 53-year-old billionaire has added $10.2 billion to his net worth this year alone. Real time figures from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index show that Bezos currently has a net worth of $76.7 billion based on Bloomberg’s metrics. Bezos sits at $1.5 billion above Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett.

Forbes also lists Jeff Bezos as its 2nd wealthiest person on its Real Time Billionaires List, with a net worth of $76.2 billion, $200 million above Spain’s Amancio Ortega.

Bezos remains below the world’s wealthiest person,Bill Gates, on both lists: $10.7 billion away from the #1 spot by Forbes’ metrics, and $9.7 billion according to Bloomberg.

Amazon’s value has risen dramatically since its start as an online book reseller, to become the world’s largest e-commerce site and a predominant cloud-computing service, Amazon Web Service. Bezos also owns The Washington Post after purchasing it for $250 million in 2013, and aerospace company Blue Origin, which he founded.

Cover photo from James Duncan Davidson under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

eSports Continue Expanse Into Large Payouts and University Recruitments

March 17, 2017March 19, 2017 / Numeed Staff / Leave a comment

Game developer Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. purchased Major League Gaming for $65 million in January 2016, and a year later, neither company shows signs of slowing down.

The professional eSports market continues to make significant strides in universal appeal and fiancial viability, garnering attention from mainstream outlets and key figures. The former CEO of ESPN, Steve Borstein, was tapped to be the Chairman of Major League Gaming, which is now under Blizzard. There is also competition between companies; Modern Times Group, a Swedish entertainment company, acquired a majority stake in the ESL (Electronic Sports League) for $86 million.

eSports has viewers connected globally, and hosts competitions across the United States and Canada. Tournaments are often streamed on Facebook, Twitch or other online mediums, increasing access to viewers who are not subscribed to traditional television packages like ESPN. Major tournaments also regularly sell out large stadiums with spectators witnessing the events unfold first-hand. With a large and growing base of supporters, the industry is expected to generate revenues of $1.9 billion in 2018.

Following the steps of other professional leagues, eSports has taken to recruiting top talent from universities, and in turn, universities have jumped on the opportunity to provide a venue for budding video game designers and players. The University of California, Irvine has one of the country’s few Computer Game Science degrees and is surrounded by a thriving technology hub in Southern California, particularly in Irvine, where Blizzard is based. The school has turned a pool hall in to an eSports arena with 70 gaming computers. UC, Irvine received free equipment from various companies so the University did not have to spend additional funds on the new venture.

The opportunities are not limited to students, however, professional leagues see large prizes rewarded for their wins. In 2016, the Valve Corporation hosted a Dota 2 championship tournament for the 6th year, called The International. The tournament, which took place in Seattle, Washington, awarded a record total $20,770,640 to winning teams.

While the NCAA holds its March Madness tournament in, you guessed it, March, the following month brings forward another competition. The Heroes of the Dorm National Championship will be held on April 8, on the campus of the University of Las Vegas, Nevada. Included prizes include $500,000 in scholarships and fully paid tuition for the winning team. As you scrap your losing March Madness brackets, you can dive into another at heroesofthedorm.com/brackets and can be streamed on Facebook.