▁media ▁industry ▁for ▁Sal omon ▁Smith ▁Bar ney ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁the ▁company ▁went ▁public ▁on ▁the ▁Nas da q , ▁the ▁first ▁Latin ▁Internet ▁company ▁ever ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁eventually ▁reaching ▁a ▁market ▁valu ation ▁of ▁over ▁$ 3 . 8 ▁billion ▁US D ▁at ▁its ▁peak . ▁St arm edia ▁had ▁over ▁ 1 , 2 0 0 ▁employees ▁in ▁ 1 8 ▁offices ▁across ▁ 1 2 ▁countries ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁and ▁Europe . ▁Today , ▁St arm edia ▁is ▁France ▁Tele com ' s ▁single ▁largest ▁Internet ▁operation ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁according ▁to ▁company ▁statements . ▁ ▁Esp uel as ▁later ▁launched ▁Vo y , ▁a ▁multi - platform ▁media ▁company ▁focused ▁on ▁young ▁Lat ino ▁consum ers . ▁" Am ong ▁younger , ▁second - gener ation ▁His pan ics , ▁English ▁is ▁the ▁preferred ▁language , ▁even ▁as ▁they ▁celebr ate ▁their ▁Latin ▁background s ", ▁reported ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Sun . ▁ ▁" What ▁we ▁wanted ▁to ▁do ▁by ▁launch ing ▁Vo y ▁Music ▁was ▁really ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁two ▁dynamics ", ▁said ▁Vo y ▁Chair man ▁Fernando ▁Esp uel as . ▁" The ▁majority ▁of ▁Lat inos ▁in ▁this ▁country ▁are ▁b iling ual ▁or ▁English ▁dominant , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁millions ▁of ▁non - Lat inos ▁who ▁love ▁Lat ino ▁music ", ▁Esp uel as ▁told ▁the ▁Associ ated ▁Press ▁ ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁ ▁" You ▁must