brit ies , ▁within ▁the ▁ 1 5 ▁second ▁top - of - hour ▁CNN ▁on - air ▁network ▁ID . ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Star Media ▁completed ▁the ▁first ▁public ▁offering ▁on ▁Nas da q ▁for ▁a ▁Latin ▁Internet ▁company , ▁s elling ▁ 7 ▁million ▁shares ▁at ▁$ 1 5 . ▁The ▁company ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁raise ▁hundreds ▁of ▁millions ▁more ▁capital ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁years . ▁By ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁at ▁age ▁ 3 4 , ▁Esp uel as ▁was ▁acknowled ged ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁players ▁in ▁Sil icon ▁Al ley ▁and ▁the ▁Lat ino ▁Internet ▁industry . ▁Uruguay ' s ▁leading ▁newspaper , ▁El ▁País , ▁dub bed ▁him ▁" The ▁Emperor ▁of ▁the ▁Internet " ▁on ▁its ▁front ▁page . ▁ ▁CNN ▁fil med ▁a ▁document ary ▁on ▁Esp uel as ’ ▁life ▁that ▁was ▁broadcast ▁across ▁the ▁world . ▁The ▁media ▁referred ▁to ▁Esp uel as ▁as ▁" The ▁His pan ic ▁Bill ▁G ates " ▁and ▁the ▁" Sim ón ▁Bol í var ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ", ▁terms ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁often ▁rec ap it ulated ▁in ▁thousands ▁of ▁articles ▁and ▁inter views ▁referencing ▁St arm edia . ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁St arm edia ▁created ▁Latin ▁America ' s ▁first ▁free , ▁ad - supported ▁regional ▁internet ▁service ▁provider ▁with ▁a ▁$ 2 0 0 ▁million ▁invest ment ▁ ▁from ▁C M G I ▁Inc