Drea Knufken
The origins of Adam Horowitz’s miniature financial empire came about in a bad way, but he has since made good. He, along with fellow classmates, launched a distressingly popular nasty gossip blog when he was 15. His parents shut it down quickly.
Still, the experience taught Horowitz about the potential in internet marketing. So he started his own site, Urban Stomp, which hosted music and listed the locations of parties in his local area (he lived in the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles). To pull in cash, he sold clothing through affiliate sites.
Horowitz was unprepared for how successful it would be. His first listing (an accidental posting to the home of an 80-year old neighbor) drew over 700 rowdy teens. Ouch. But what started out as an awkward foray into the world of digital business has since been turned around.
Horowitz now teaches courses to 15+ year olds on how to make money online, and he runs mobile marketing sites like ‘Mobile Monopoly,’ and ‘Cell Phone Treasure,’ which have both earned him over $100,000. Additionally, he has another one that is up and coming, ‘Dude, I Hate My Job!’
What does this budding young entrepreneur do in his spare time? He tools around in his 2010 Audi A5 and plays Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 on his 360.
Moral of the story: Not all video gamers are shiftless slackers. And, whether or not you agree with internet marketing affiliate-based programs, you have to give the kid props for starting this up on his own.
