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Which professional pianists began playing at a later age?

Almost no-one.

Among the almost no-ones: Giovanni Bellucci

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpQUtpidMJQ

This guy started learning at around 13:

http://youtu.be/CVghMk3v3mI

Famous example: Harold Bauer, because of his beautiful hair, said Paderewski

Volodos

If you take the phrase "began playing" literally(who knows what the OP meant?)then Volodos began at age 8 and Bauer began playing long before he started studying with Paderewski at 19 or 20. The story I heard was that Paderewski or some other famous pianist told Bauer he was so good at piano that he should "switch" to that instrument. So I'd guess Bauer started long before meeting Paderewski.

Volodos began "serious study"(meaning he was more interested in singing and conducting before) of the piano at 15.

Uhmm...who the heck cares...?

Well, obviously the OP does, hence his asking of the question. Nonetheless, I am also interested in the answers to this question.

I admit I am among those who fail to see the appeal of a question like this.

I think it's an interesting question to a significant proportion of posters on here. Most of us are adults, and many came to music later than they would have liked. So it's a matter of interest to know what potential for development there is for late-starters. I don't think there's a need for snide responses of the "who cares?" variety.

I agree. I spend two years at a well known conservatory in my younger years and failed miserably. At 50 I took it up again much more seriously with 2 hrs a day minimum and performing in amateur clubs.

It would be nice to learn if others have excelled at a later age and to know that there are no limits as to what can be attained.

The question is a bit ambiguous.

Here is an interesting story along these lines: http://economia.icaew.com/people/january-2014/piano-man

I was pretty much the same as Volodos (except I've slowed down since going to college, and I didn't do the singing and conducting), and I don't think people on this board need the explanation that not seriously practicing and seriously practicing is a huge difference.

My 18 year old self after 3-4 years of hard practice + 7-8 years of half-assed or minimal practice had considerably worse technique than people with a solid 7-8 years of hard practice, and sometimes I still think my technique is not as good as the better 14 year olds who started at age 6 or so.

I know 15 is still young to many of you old geezers but it's still over twice the age that almost all pros started seriously practicing at :P

Maybe this would be a better fit over in the ABF?