▁January ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁in ▁Vill ene uve - Saint - Ge org es , ▁France . ▁His ▁parents ▁were ▁Al ger ian ▁imm igr ants . ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris , ▁where ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁b ach elor ▁of ▁arts ▁degree ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁philosophy . ▁ ▁Career ▁N ek kaz ▁founded ▁an ▁Internet ▁startup , ▁which ▁nobody ▁knew ▁about . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁divers ified ▁into ▁real ▁estate . ▁ ▁N ek kaz ▁first ▁came ▁into ▁the ▁public ▁eye ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁French ▁president ial ▁election . ▁He ▁caught ▁media ▁attention ▁by ▁purch asing ▁the ▁spons or ship ▁of ▁André ▁Gar rec , ▁Mayor ▁of ▁Nor on - la - P ot erie , ▁who ▁had ▁offered ▁his ▁support ▁for ▁au ction , ▁and ▁te aring ▁it ▁up ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁cam eras . ▁However , ▁he ▁failed ▁to ▁secure ▁the ▁ 5 0 0 ▁end ors ements ▁required . ▁In ▁the ▁legisl ative ▁elections ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁he ▁founded ▁his ▁own ▁party , ▁standing ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁district ▁of ▁Seine - Saint - D enis ▁and ▁receiving ▁only ▁ 1 5 6 ▁votes , ▁just ▁over ▁ 0 . 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁ball ot . ▁He ▁subsequently ▁stood ▁un success fully ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁municipal ▁elections , ▁prom ising ▁€ 3 0 0 ▁to ▁every ▁vot er ▁if ▁elected . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0