The couple that started the online auction frenzy have also shown their philanthropic side. Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founders of eBay, will give $10 million to their alma mater, Tufts University in Medford, MA. The gift, to be distributed over five years, will boost the new College of Citizenship and Public Service, the Boston Globe reports.

The money also will fund two dozen scholarships annually, and pay for programs to encourage community activity by students, Tufts officials report. The Omidyars say they want their efforts to nurture a long line of successful business leaders, artists and computer scientists from Tufts.

The couple made their fortune -- now totaling in the billions -- from eBay, the largest online auction site. The idea for eBay came from Pam's desire to have a place to trade Pez dispensers with other collectors. Pierre, a computer programmer, created eBay for her. The site now trades everything from movie memorabilia to cars, with over 10 million users registered.

In addiction to gifts from eBay itself, the couple recently created the Omidyar Foundation. The foundation made its first large pledge in December with a $1 million gift to New Profit Inc., a Boston venture philanthropy firm, the Globe reports.

The Omidyars have said they will give away 99 percent of their wealth in their lifetimes, the newspaper reports.

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