Overstock.com
It was started in 1997 by Robert Brazell and originally called D2: Discounts Direct. It was an online seller of surplus merchandise which, upon its failure in 1999, was taken over by Patrick M. Byrne, who changed its name to Overstock.com. The company went public in 2002, achieved profits in 2009 and reported its first billion-dollar year in 2010.