Occupation Businessman Employer Smiley Media | Name Stephen Oskoui | |
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Residence Austin, Texas, United States | ||
Stephen Oskoui is the founder of Smiley Media and a libertarian donor.
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Personal life and education
Oskoui attended Stanford University until his junior year, leaving college to work for a start-up that eventually failed.
Career
Oskoui founded Smiley Media in 2001 in Palo Alto, California. Smiley Media connects internet advertisers with websites that publish online ads. In 2006, Oskoui moved the company to Austin, Texas, and added several employees. Oskoui was also a major investor in Infoaxe, a search engine.
Political activities
Oskoui, Jeffrey Harmon, Abe Niederhauser, and Ladd Christensen co-founded Endorse Liberty, a Super PAC supporting Ron Paul. Oskoui serves as president of the organization. Oskoui helped convince Peter Thiel, the founder of Paypal, to donate over $2 million to Endorse Liberty. In 2012, Oskoui donated $125,000 and provided $296,000 in in-kind media services.