Million Dollar Internet Whiz-Kid Launches 'Real' Face Book

LONDON, Sept. 29 /CNW/ - A British entrepreneur who five years ago netted $1m with his Million Dollar Homepage website - in which advertisers bought pixels on a web page a dollar at a time - is back with a $3m idea that he describes as a 'real' face book.

The project by Alex Tew, 26, is called One Million People. Internet users can buy a spot for $3 then upload a picture of themselves. Tew will print a book - "an actual, real face book" - once the million slots are filled.

"The goal is to take a snapshot of the Facebook generation, and immortalize one million faces in a stunning printed book", he explained, "It will be a timeless physical symbol of the social web revolution and how more than ever, we are all part of one global community."

Tew originally shot to fame when in 2005, as a penniless student hoping to avoid large debts, he created The Million Dollar Homepage: a simple and brazen scheme to sell one million pixels of ad space for $1 each. The site became a worldwide internet sensation and achieved its goal in 4 months.

Tew admits his new project is inspired by his previous creation, "The Million Dollar Homepage was a snapshot of the internet at the time, a vibrant tapestry of different ads and logos. I was thinking how much the internet has changed over the past five years, and that's what gave me the idea: let's reinvent the concept and take a snapshot of the web today: the social web."

According to Tew over 1,000 people have signed up since the site went live earlier in the week, and he also revealed that he is reserving the first space in the book for Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

"Mark is a genius who has revolutionized the way we communicate and share, and I can't think of anyone more apt to occupy the prestigious first space in the book.", Tew explained, "An invite is on its way to him and I am hoping he accepts."

You can visit the project at http://www.onemillionpeople.com

Photos of Alex Tew are available at Getty Images and at http://bit.ly/alextew

    
    Contact:
    Alex Tew
    [email protected]

    http://www.onemillionpeople.com
    

For further information: Alex Tew, +44 -(0)7809-726224, [email protected]