A 17-year-old is set to become an Internet paper millionaire before sitting his A-levels by floating his website for the Jewish community on the stock exchange.

Benjamin Cohen, who set up the site 10 months ago with £150 sterling, planned the business during a four-year battle with the illness ME.

"I was in bed really ill and came up with the idea," he said.

The site carries a range of information on cultural and religious subjects and boasts an email agony aunt and the first "cyber rabbi".

The company was estimated in September to be worth more than £5 million. After floating the site, called JewishNet.co.uk, it will be renamed SoJewish.com and Mr Cohen will keep a stake of between 10-15 per cent. He cannot cash in any shares for at least a year, so will only hold paper money.

Although he is considering using some of the finance to get a bachelor pad, he is protective about his business and does not want to sell out.

"It's my baby and I want to keep some stake in it," he said.

He has secured £750,000 financing from investment company Durlacher and is planning to float the business on the stock market in April or May.

It is a big step from the business's birth in Mr Cohen's bedroom at his home at Elstree, Hertfordshire, where he lives with his parents.

Mr Cohen said when he thought up the plan, he wasn't aiming at making millions, only at helping the Jewish community.

He has juggled his company alongside coping with ME and studying for English and economics A-levels.

Despite his business talents, Mr Cohen is aiming to read English at university and is keen to write plays or go into politics.

After flotation, SoJewish will be headed up by Mr Gary Sterns from the London Jewish News, which will feed news to the site.