Japan's Self-Made Maverick

April, 1996 At 23, Horie launches Livin' on the Edge, a Web consultancy. He soon drops out of college, later remarking: "Didn't Bill Gates drop out of Harvard?"

April, 2000 His firm is listed on Mothers, Tokyo's stock market for start-ups. He later uses funds from the listing to buy Livedoor, an Internet services provider. Livedoor goes on to make dozens of acquisitions of other firms.

June, 2004 Horie grabs the spotlight with an offer to bail out a debt-ridden baseball team, the Kintetsu Buffaloes....

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