
The corporate lawyer turned media mogul started TechCrunch as a hobby back in 2005. TechCrunch today is one of the world's preeminent tech blogs, expanding its coverage from startups and gadgets to nearly every facet of the technology industry. The site repeatedly breaks news (its big scoop: Google's purchase of YouTube in 2006), and Arrington can propel a startup to success simply by mentioning it on his site. And it isn't just entrepreneurs who seek an audience with Arrington, 40: He interviewed many of the presidential candidates on their tech policies during the 2008 presidential primaries. --J.P.M.
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Last updated July 09 2010: 1:19 PM ET
