Teen Christian Owens Makes Million on Web

(CANVAS STAFF REPORTS) - Some teens use their spare cash to buy clothes or perhaps a car. Christian Owens started a business – and made a million along the way.

"My aim is to become a leading name in the world of Internet and mobile advertising and push myself right to the top of the game," the 16-year-old told The Daily Mail .

The bespectacled British teen, who cited Steve Jobs as an inspiration, has used a computer since the age of seven. He taught himself basic Web design a few years later on his first Mac computer.

Owens funded his first venture, the website Mac Box Bundle , with pocket money. He was just 14 years old when he conceived of a company that sells Mac OS X applications in bundles typically valued around $400 for about $50, according to Switched.com . Owens negotiated discounts with developers.

This simple idea really paid off. Mac Bundle Box made $1 million in its first 2 years, according to Gizmodo.com .

The following year, his earnings from Mac Box Bundle launched an advertising pay-per-click company Branchr , which distributes more than 300 million targeted ads monthly to Web sites and mobile devices.

Branchr has reportedly earned $800,000 in its first year, and now Owens has eight employees, including his mom.

Gizmodo.com reports that Branchr has already bought another company. At this rate, Owens could be well on his way to his goal of earning 100 million British pounds from Branchr. Not bad for a kid who insists he is a "normal teenager."

What is the schoolboy entrepreneur's secret for success?

"There is no magical formula to business – it takes hard work, determination and the drive to do something great," he told The Mail.