I’ve just heard from Julie Meyer that Richard Duvall, the founder of Zopa, passed away earlier this week.
I met Richard for the first some years ago, while he was at Egg; more recently, via Julie, we met a few times while he was busy dreaming up Zopa, getting it funded and launching it.
Earlier this year we were both on the same small panel at Ariadne’s 5th Anniversary celebration, looking at Building Society For the 21st Century. In fact the kernel for this blog was written for that occasion.
Richard was one of the people who really got the power of the Web and P2P, and followed his dreams with his inimitable boundless energy. He didn’t just follow his dreams, he made them happen. Effervescent and charming, he was a pleasure to be with.
It’s normal to feel sad when someone close to you passes away. I didn’t know Richard that well, yet I feel really sad. That was the kind of guy Richard was. My condolences to those he leaves behind.