born ▁August ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 ) ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁entrepr ene ur , ▁author , ▁media ▁person ality ▁and ▁phil anth rop ist . ▁ ▁Esp uel as ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁pione ers ▁of ▁the ▁consumer ▁Internet . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁co - found er ▁( al ong ▁with ▁Jack ▁Chen ) ▁and ▁first ▁CE O ▁of ▁St arm edia , ▁the ▁first ▁pan - Lat in ▁Internet ▁portal , ▁launched ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁Orange , ▁France ▁Tele com ' s ▁Internet ▁services ▁company . ▁ ▁St arm edia ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁vent ure - cap ital ▁back ed ▁Latin ▁Internet ▁company ▁and ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁initial ▁public ▁offering ▁( IP O ) ▁in ▁the ▁Latin ▁Internet ▁industry . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Business ▁School ▁case ▁Star Media : ▁La unch ing ▁a ▁Latin ▁American ▁Revolution , ▁" by ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁Star Media ▁had ▁s print ed ▁to ▁a ▁s izable ▁lead ▁in ▁the ▁race ▁to ▁ac quire ▁Latin ▁American ▁Internet ▁users . ▁Its ▁pan - reg ional , ▁horizontal ▁portal ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁target ▁Spanish - ▁and ▁Portuguese - language ▁speak ers ▁on ▁the ▁Internet , ▁register ing ▁ 1 . 2 ▁billion ▁page ▁views ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁quarter ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁Th irty - three - year - old ▁Star Media ▁co - found er ▁Fernando ▁Esp uel as ▁was ▁the ▁to ast ▁of