Byrne almost made philosophy his career. After getting an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth in Chinese studies, he went on to get a doctorate in philosophy from Stanford.
Ultimately, though, Byrne decided to pursue a career in business — bolstered in part, perhaps, by his longtime relationship with his "Dutch uncle" Warren Buffett, Wired notes. Byrne helped found Overstock in 1999, took over as CEO the same year, and took it public in 2002.