# THE STORY OF LONELY PLANET

By [STARTUP MELBOURNE](https://startupmelbourne.com) · 2013-10-20

event, startupgrind

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In late September I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of Melbourne's greatest business success stories - [Lonely Planet.](http://www.lonelyplanet.com/?ref=startupmelbourne.com)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/b4b10376bbc4a86c69b7c921a3d1b3b4.png)

Co-founder Tony Wheeler gave us incredible insight into a business that seemed destined to become something special even in its early days. I say 'destined' because people would literally walk through his door asking to write the next series of travel guides for him.

Travel the world and make millions of dollars - sound like fun?

While Tony still has the travel bug he is now focused on giving back through the [Planet Wheeler Foundation](http://www.planetwheeler.org/?ref=startupmelbourne.com) funding several projects around the world with the focus on education, health, children, disability, water and sanitation.

That is what made this story even more special to me...enjoy!

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*Originally published on [STARTUP MELBOURNE](https://startupmelbourne.com/the-story-of-lonely-planet)*