{{Short description|French businessman and felon}} '''Marc Armand Rousso''' is a French author and businessman. He founded the business-to-business search engine Accoona as well as X3D Technology.{{citation needed|date=April 2026}}
In 1999, Rousso was arrested on charges of money laundering, and securities fraud.{{citation needed|date=April 2026}}
Rousso is the father of Vanessa Rousso, a professional poker player and former Big Brother contestant.{{citation needed|date=April 2026}}
== Biography == Rousso settled in the United States in 1982, working as a trader of stamps. In 1985, he stated that he had bartered $45 million (catalog value) in rare postage stamps.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}}
In 1986, Rousso started an online stamp exchange website, The International Stamp Exchange, which lasted until 1990. The International Stamp Exchange was part of a network run by David N. Glassman, who created NaicoNet, an early online retail stock trading system. Rousso stated that online advertising revenue could support a business dedicated to philatelists. Rousso and the ISE were profiled in the March 28, 1988, issue of New York Magazine.
Rousso was identified as a buyer of the Treskilling Yellow a Swedish postage stamp printed in the wrong color, at a 2010 auction.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://stamps.about.com/od/buyingsellingstamps/qt/Mystery-Owner-Of-Treskilling-Yellow-Rarity-Revealed.htm |title=John Finch, Mystery Owner of Treskilling Yellow Rarity Revealed, Entrepreneur and Fixture on the Philatelic Scene |access-date=2014-03-16 |archive-date=2014-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414120803/http://stamps.about.com/od/buyingsellingstamps/qt/Mystery-Owner-Of-Treskilling-Yellow-Rarity-Revealed.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The stamp had been auctioned on 22 May 2010, by David Feldman in Geneva, Switzerland, for at least $2.3 million, reported at the time as a record price for a stamp at auction. In May 2013 the stamp was acquired in a private sale by Count Gustaf Douglas, a Swedish nobleman and politician.<ref>[http://www.stampmagazine.co.uk/news/article/treskilling-yellow-is-back-in-the-hands-of-a-philatelist/17013 Treskilling Yellow is back in the hands of a philatelist] by Julia Lee, stampmagazine.co.uk, 1 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131108002507/http://www.stampmagazine.co.uk/news/article/treskilling-yellow-is-back-in-the-hands-of-a-philatelist/17013 Archived here.]</ref>
In January of 1999, Marc Rousso was arrested for money laundering and securities fraud for defrauding millions of dollars from investors. Rousso later entered into plea agreements with the federal government after spending approximately one year in jail.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/23/nyregion/french-ex-convict-describes-a-path-into-torricelli-s-circle.html |title= French Ex-Convict Describes A Path Into Torricelli's Circle |first1= Tim |last1= Golden |first2= David |last2= Kocieniewski |work= New York Times |date= March 23, 2001 |access-date= October 18, 2022 |url-access= subscription}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.gawker.com/287305/convicted-felon-armand-rousso-leaves-a-stench-accoona-cant-expunge |title= Convicted felon Armand Rousso leaves a stench Accoona can't expunge |author= Owen Thomas |publisher= Gawker |date= August 8, 2007 |access-date= October 18, 2022}}</ref>
===Accoona search engine=== Accoona's main product was a search engine described as using artificial intelligence to better interpret search queries. On June 23, 2005, in the ABC Times Square Studios, the Accoona Toolbar, using a prototype based on Fritz 9, played against chess grandmaster Rustam Kasimdzhanov in a demonstration match. The service also included business profile searches and a feature called "SuperTarget".<ref>Accoona</ref>{{Circular reference|date=August 2024}} Armand Rousso was the founder of Accoona.
Launched in 2004 with former U.S. president Bill Clinton as its chief spokesperson for its launch,<ref name="b2b">{{cite web | last = Temple | first = David | title = B2B search engine Accoona acquired by Masterseek | publisher = Multilingual Search | date = 2008-11-09 | url = http://www.multilingual-search.com/b2b-search-engine-accoona-acquired-by-masterseek/09/11/2008 | accessdate = 2009-03-10 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090106061223/http://www.multilingual-search.com/b2b-search-engine-accoona-acquired-by-masterseek/09/11/2008 | archive-date = 2009-01-06 | url-status = dead }}</ref> the company failed to gain a significant share of the search engine market.<ref>{{cite news | last = Arrington | first = Michael | title = Twing: Accoona's Final Disgrace | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = 2009-12-01 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120200035_pf.html | accessdate = 2009-03-10}}</ref> Clinton reportedly made $700,000 for his Clinton Foundation in 2006 from selling Accoona stock.<ref>{{cite news | last = Zajac | first = Andrew | title = Bill Clinton and the Midas touch: Stock deal benefiting his foundation among shrouded successes | work = Chicago Tribune | date = 2008-03-04 | url = https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1438761091.html?dids=1438761091:1438761091&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+04%2C+2008&author=Andrew+Zajac&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Bill+Clinton+and+the+Midas+touch&pqatl=google | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019173719/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/1438761091.html?dids=1438761091:1438761091&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+04,+2008&author=Andrew+Zajac&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Bill+Clinton+and+the+Midas+touch&pqatl=google | url-status = dead | archive-date = October 19, 2012 | accessdate = 2009-03-10}}</ref> The initial $80.5 million offering was underwritten by Maxim Group. However, as ''The New York Times'' reported, "Accoona.com attracted only 106,000 visitors from the United States in July (2007), according to comScore, which monitors Internet traffic."<ref name="misgivings">{{cite news | last = Hansell | first = Saul | title = Misgivings Spoil Plans of Start-Up | work = The New York Times | date = 2007-08-22 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/22/technology/22accoona.html?em&ex=1188100800&en=48bad887ba36f354&ei=5087%0A | accessdate = 2009-03-10}}</ref> The underwriter withdrew.<ref>{{cite web | title = Web search IPO stalls on underwriter doubts | publisher = CNN | date = 2007-08-22 | url = https://money.cnn.com/2007/08/22/markets/ipo/accoona/index.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214746/https://money.cnn.com/2007/08/22/markets/ipo/accoona/index.htm | accessdate = 2009-03-10| archive-date = 2016-03-03 }}</ref> In 2008, the company was acquired by Masterseek.<ref name="b2b"/>
==Chess== Rousso has been involved in international chess and, through his company X3D Technologies, which develops 3D technology for the internet,<ref>{{cite web | title = Partnership formed on Chinese culture | publisher = Chinadaily.com | date = 2003-10-22 | url = http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/22/content_274314.htm | accessdate = 2009-03-10| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090316200736/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/22/content_274314.htm| archive-date= 16 March 2009 <!--DASHBot-->| url-status= live}}</ref> sponsored several World Championship matches, including Garry Kasparov vs Anatoly Karpov (2002) and Garry Kasparov vs X3D Fritz (2003).<ref>{{cite web | last = Friedel | first = Frederic | title = Entrepreneur, philanthropist, chess aficionado | publisher = ChessBase.com | date = 2004-04-09 | url = http://www.chessbase.com/newsdetail.asp?newsid=1887 | accessdate = 2009-03-10}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rousso, Armand}} Category:21st-century French businesspeople Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:French stamp dealers Category:French emigrants to the United States Category:Chess patrons