In 2005, a student named Alex Tew launched a website with one of the simplest and most genius ideas the internet has ever seen. It was called: The Million Dollar Homepage and yes, he made a million dollars.
To mark its 20th anniversary, we’re taking a scroll down memory lane to look back at one of the internet’s earliest viral sensations and what it says about how far the internet has come.
What Was The Million Dollar Homepage?
The premise was simple:
• The site was a 1,000 x 1,000 pixel grid, equalling 1 million pixels total
• Alex sold each pixel for $1
• Buyers could purchase blocks (minimum 10×10 pixels = $100) and upload an image or logo, with a link to their website
It was a pixelated patchwork of logos, icons, and… well, some more questionable ads too (warning, there are some X-rated ones still live 😬)
The Times, Yahoo!, and even some early crypto-related sites bought space. It became an online mosaic of the mid-2000s, frozen in time.
By January 2006, just 5 months after launch, Alex had sold every pixel and made his million.
🌐 A Snapshot of a Simpler Internet
Looking back, it’s a nostalgic reminder of what the internet once was:
• No SEO strategies, no influencer marketing, no AI tools
• Just one page, no scroll, no fancy animations, and zero mobile optimisation
• A static wall of randomness and yet, it captivated the internet
It made headlines and it proved what a clever idea, great timing, and some novelty could achieve online.
And it worked because:
• It was new (at the time)
• It was shareable
• It offered social proof. Once a few brands jumped in, others wanted a slice
🧠 What Can We Learn From It in 2025?
The site would probably never work now in the same way, attention spans have changed, design standards have evolved, and the online advertising landscape is totally different. But that doesn’t mean the spirit of The Million Dollar Homepage is gone. In fact, it teaches us a few timeless lessons:
💡 Simplicity Wins
In a world full of overcomplicated campaigns, sometimes the simplest ideas are the most powerful. The Million Dollar Homepage was just a concept that made people talk. Sometimes you just need an idea that connects.
🔄 Scarcity Sells
1 million pixels. Once they were gone, they were gone. This sense of exclusivity and urgency drove FOMO like crazy. Creating a “limited time” or “limited space” offer still drives conversion, especially in digital campaigns.
🗞️ PR > Ads
The popularity of the site wasn’t because of paid marketing. It was newsworthy. It got coverage from BBC, CNN, The Times and the buzz did the work for him. Great marketing gets people talking. Think beyond the ad and into the story.
🧱 Design Trends Change Fast
The web has evolved rapidly. The homepage now looks like a digital relic. (And yet, we still kind of love it.) Design trends change, but impactful design is timeless. Make sure your brand evolves with the times.
Could a Modern Version Work Today?
In short? Not in the same way. The genius of Alex Tew wasn’t just in the pixels. It was in:
• Spotting an opportunity
• Doing something different
• Acting fast
That’s a mindset marketers and creatives can still learn from today. And in case you’re wondering what Alex Tew is up to now, he went on to found Calm, the meditation app valued at over $2 billion. From pixel ads to mindfulness. What a plot twist!
Final Thoughts
It’s been 20 years since The Million Dollar Homepage made history and while the web has come a long way since then, it’s a reminder that bold ideas can still win. We’re living in a time of TikToks, Threads, AI content, and 3-second scrolls. But what hasn’t changed is this: People remember things that are different.
So if you’re building a website, launching a campaign, or designing your next digital strategy, channel a bit of that 2005 creativity, you never know if you will create something that people remember in 2045!
