42. Markus Frind

Founder, Plenty of Fish

Age: 36 | First AppearanceOnly last year, Markus Frind was quoted as saying he had “no intention of selling to any of the many investors who have expressed an interest in Plenty of Fish,” the dating website he created in two weeks in 2003. This year, he sold it to Match.com for US$575-million cash, joining the likes of Roger Hardy (of Coastal Contacts and Shoes.com) and Charles Chang (who cashed out of Vega plant-based food and nutritional products) as the city’s latest self-made multi-millionaires.What will the 36-year-old developer do with his newfound riches? He wants to spend more time with his baby daughter, he loves to travel, and he’s beginning to invest in local startups, including Cymax, an online furniture retailer, and banking-meets-tech outfit Grouplend. “He has a brilliant mind,” says an investment banker who knows him well. “He used to play chess with his dad when he was growing up, but constantly got his ass beat. He started winning when he started thinking five or six steps ahead. That’s how he operates, and I think that’s why he’s so successful today. He’s always ahead of the game, and that’s rare in Vancouver.”

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