With his slight build, pale complexion and thick-rimmed glasses, you could argue that Michael Birch looks like a man who spends his spare time in a darkened room writing code. Just as well then that this is what the 38 year-old entrepreneur does to relax.
Birch is best known as one half of the couple behind Bebo, the social networking site that was snapped up last May by AOL. The deal made Birch a multi-millionaire overnight.
Despite his new-found riches, Birch is not the type to let money go to his head. His dedication, patience and attention to detail is matched by an irrepressible desire to be at the forefront of online innovation. It was this that prompted Birch and his wife, Xochi, to launch Bebo in 2001, kick-starting the social networking phenomenon now led in the UK by Facebook.
For a man who began his career in the IT department of an insurance firm, Birch's path to success has veered wildly from what may have been expected of him. However, it was during his time in the IT cube farm that Birch discovered the passion for computer programming that was to launch his internet career. Birch and his American-born wife have since founded several web ventures, some more successful than others.
High definition
His latest project, Wordia - which encourages users to upload a video that defines their favourite word - was launched last month in partnership with British TV producer Edward Baker. It is Birch's first major enterprise since the sale of Bebo.
He describes Wordia as a "visual dictionary", a collective pool of professionally produced and user-generated video definitions. Just like a traditional dictionary, users can search for the spelling, meaning and etymology of a word. They are presented with the accepted academic definition, provided by dictionary publisher HarperCollins, as well as video definitions from other users. The site already boasts 76,000 words and 120,000 definitions. Birch believes that Wordia will help people improve and expand their vocabulary.
"The dictionary makes it hard to remember words without context," he says. "You look up a word and find three meanings, which is fine, but I want to know when and how I will use the words."
The idea for Wordia was conceived around 18 months ago, after Baker signed up for word-of-the-day emails he hoped would improve his vocabulary. Rather fittingly, Wordia's founders chose the 299th anniversary of Samuel Johnson's birth to give the English author's greatest work a new lease of life. Johnson's Dictionary of the English language already has many online incarnations, but Wordia promises to go one step further.
Wordia is ad-supported, but Birch insists that the focus of the site is not to make money, but to build a worthy resource - an easy claim for a multi-millionaire. However, Birch's money-making abilities are held in high esteem by his new business partner. "Michael is the super-angel," says Baker. "He's the guy who's been there and done it." He is referring to Birch's previous internet conquests, including his first project, BirthdayAlarm.com, which attracts around a million unique visitors a month. The site, which helps people remember birthdays of friends and relatives, brings in $4 million (£2.3m) a year, plus advertising revenue.
Despite his new business interests, Birch undoubtedly still feels attached to Bebo. However, he is by no means a ubiquitous user, posting his last comment on the social networking site over a year ago. He is a man full of contradictions. During his time at Bebo, he repeatedly claimed he was not interested in selling the company, but sell it he did to AOL for a cool $850m (£484m). According to Birch, the decision was driven by a combination of personal circumstances. Xochi had just become pregnant with their third child, who was born last month, and the couple were beginning to feel burnt out and jaded.
"When we started to think about selling Bebo, I was very willing to say no, but I eventually came round to the idea," he says. "Once I had got it into my head that we were selling, it wasn't hard to let go. I thought maybe I might actually get to see my third child."
Pond-hopper
Cambridge-born Birch and his family split their time between two continents. They spend eight months a year in San Francisco, and three months in Richmond. The remaining time is spent "elsewhere", Birch says, alluding to holidays abroad. Being worth millions of pounds, one might imagine the family cruising the Mediterranean, hiring a private island in the Bahamas or blitzing the credit cards on New York City spending sprees, but Birch insists he is "a normal guy". In fact, when the couple were considering the sale of Bebo, Xochi forced her husband to put all impending purchases on ice. "I was about to buy a Mercedes, then we got an offer for the company and she told me I couldn't," he says. "I blame hormones. You can't argue with a pregnant lady."
Aside from the Mercedes, which he was eventually allowed to buy, and a new house, Birch says he has not rushed to change his lifestyle. "We've not bought a plane, or a yacht, or any of those things."
Wordia is still very much in its infancy, but Birch's relentless drive to innovate, combined with the increasing health of his bank balance, is already prompting people to ask what his next venture will be.
REALITY
2008: Co-founder, Wordia
2005-2008: Co-founder and chief executive, Bebo
2003: Co-founder, Ringo.com
2001: Co-founder, BirthdayAlarm.com
VIRTUAL REALITY
What's on your iPod? - Er, I don't have an iPod
Gadget - Laptop, I'm not much into gadgets
Film - Sleuth (1972) starring Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine
Relaxation - Family, web coding.