Naveen Jain: a Fireball of Energy
“A fireball of energy” is exactly how friends and close associates of Naveen Jain describe the information commerce monger. After leaving Microsoft in 1996, Naveen Jain went on to build InfoSpace from scratch. And with his skills and relentless pursuit of success, Naveen Jain turned InfoSpace into a mega-billion venture, with a net worth peaking at $31 billion.
After Naveen Jain was forced out of the company he founded, he engaged information technology in an unconventional fashion — online information commerce. Intelius, the second company Naveen Jain founded and now currently heads, has become an institution on its own right.
Intelius has reaped several recognitions for its performance and has also succeeded in the industry it has helped carve out. Intelius made making available background checks, work history, and criminal records a bankable business. In addition, Intelius’ effective identity theft protection and prevention services make the company constantly in demand.
The main reason for Intelius’ success is their big boss. As his colleagues point out, Naveen Jain’s kinetic personality sets a chain reaction of positive moods in a room. And his energy and drive to reach his goals are clearly evidenced in how he works – logging in 18 to 20 hours a day.
Even before he left InfoSpace, Naveen Jain insisted that he handle matters his way, which consisted of working 120 hours a week. The good thing about this is that his business acumen has rubbed off on his eldest son. When asked if he, Naveen Jain’s boy, would like to work for InfoSpace one day, the boy simply replied he would rather make his own empire.
