college dropout, and we so eagerly want to
believe it can be true, that despite doing
things differently and not following the
patterns our parents and society enforce on
us, we will still find fame and fortune.
However, the sad reality is that most
dropouts end up poor or unemployed. Of
course, there’s a grain of truth to every
legend, and there are certain media and
computer tycoons that prove otherwise.
There are 2.5 million people with a PhD and
around 30 million college dropouts in the
U.S. Pretty concerning, but if these
billionaires succeeded, why can’t everyone?
First, we have to acknowledge that these are
exceptional people who built their careers
and companies from scratch. They had a
clear picture of what their future would look
like, and wanted to take matters into their
own hands without further delay. They knew
how to take risks; innovation and strong-will
the keys to their success. As Bill Gates once
said, “Too many of our students fail to
graduate from high school with the basic
skills they will need to succeed in the
21st century economy, much less prepared
for the rigors of college and career.”
1. Bill Gates
The world’s most recognizable college
dropout turned successful billionaire, Bill
Gates is a resonant name on the business and
entrepreneurship stage, a great inventor and
computer programmer, investor, and
philanthropist. With a net worth of over $80
billion, he was the world’s wealthiest person
in 2013, and seems to be maintaining his
position in 2014 as well. He enrolled in
Harvard in 1973 and attended the university
for two years before dropping out to build
the world’s biggest software business,
Microsoft, together with childhood friend
Paul Allen. The two began by developing
software for Micro Instrumentation and
Telemetry System. In 1975, the guys named
their partnership Micro-Soft. In 1987, he
became the youngest self-made billionaire
2. Mark Zuckerberg
The youngest billionaire in history, Mark
Zuckerberg became even more famous in
2010 when the acclaimed movie The Social
Network revealed the story behind the
world’s most visited website today. He
launched Facebook in February 2004 from
his dormitory room at Harvard. By the end
of the year, the platform already counted
over 1 million users. There was no reason left
for him to stay, so Mark left Harvard in his
sophomore year and moved to Silicon Valley
to work on Facebook full-time. Yet we have
to agree that if it wasn’t for his Harvard
years, he probably would have never
launched Facebook at all. The business model
and target audience had Harvard written all
over them. Also, if he had stayed in school, it
probably wouldn’t be what it is today either.
3. Larry Ellison
Co-founder and CEO of Oracle, Larry
Ellison has quite the life story to tell. As he
himself stated, “I have had all the
disadvantages required for success.” He was
born in Bronx as the son of a single 19-year-
old mother, and was adopted by his aunt and
uncle from Chicago. In 1962, he enrolled at
the University of Illinois, and was named
Science Student of the Year. In his second
year, after his adoptive mother died, he
dropped out. Next fall, he signed up for the
University of Chicago, but quit and moved to
North California where he began working as
a programmer for Amdahl Corporation. In
1977, he and two of his coworkers founded
Software Development Labs, with Ellison as
CEO. The company went on to develop a
system for commercial applications, Oracle.
Larry Ellison is America’s third richest man
and the sixth wealthiest in the world.
4. Michael Dell
Founder, chairman, and CEO of Dell
Computers, Michael Dell is currently worth
$15.9 billion. While he was attending the
University of Texas in Austin, he began
making his own computers. He was selling
directly to customers and business was
flourishing. Before dropping out of college at
the age of 19, he had already made $80,000
from selling computer kits. He left
university without
getting his degree to focus on his business,
which he started with only $1,000 capital.
During his first year on the market, he made
$6 million in sales, becoming the world’s
greatest PC maker in 2001.
5. Ralph Lauren
Another successful billionaire who dropped
out of college to pursue his dream, but the
dream had to wait a few years before
materializing, Ralph Lauren entered the
fashion industry from a tender age. He left
Baruch College to join the army, and
afterward began designing neckties for Beau
Brummel. In 1976, he launched Polo with
$50,000 capital. The company continued to
grow over the years, turning into a full
menswear line that includes clothing, shoes,
fragrances, and jewelry, renowned
throughout the Globe as Ralph Lauren
Clothing.
6. Steve Jobs
The late Apple Inc. & Pixar founder Steve
Jobs left Reed College in Portland, Oregon,
after only six months. Yet, he admitted that
it was a calligraphy class he took in college
that inspired the typography used in the
first Mac. In 1974, he became a video game
designer for Atari, but it didn’t last long as
he left the job to travel to India. At 21, he
founded Apple Computers together with
Steve Wozniak in his garage. Innovation was
their trademark, and they struggled to make
computers smaller and more accessible to
the general public. In 1985, Jobs resigned as
CEO of Apple, but he returned in 1997,
reviving the company after a dark age of
fallouts. The famous entrepreneur and
inventor died of respiratory arrest caused
by a pancreatic tumor in 2011.
7. Ted Turner
With a net worth $2 billion, Ted Turner is
known as the founder of CNN, the world’s
first 24-hour news network. He didn’t
exactly drop out of college, he was expelled
from Brown University after being caught
with a girl in his dorm room, but he never
returned to college to get his degree, instead
he joined his father’s advertising company,
Turner Advertising. After his father’s
suicide, he took over the company and made
it bigger, stronger, and more successful than
ever, renaming it Turner Broadcasting. He
was only 24 at the time. Turner himself once
said “All my life people said that I wasn’t
going to make it.”
8. Paul Allen
Microsoft’s other half, Paul Allenis a
relentless investor and computer
programmer who, like many other successful
business magnates of his time, had a vision
and left college to pursue his dream. After
earning a perfect score on the SAT, he
enrolled at the Washington State University,
but dropped out after two years and moved
to work as a programmer for Honeywell in
Boston. It was there that he met with
childhood friend Bill Gates, and convinced
him to leave Harvard and start Microsoft.
The renowned philanthropist and business
tycoon is the founder and chairman of Vulcan
Inc. and the owner of the Seattle Seahawks
and Portland Trail Blazers.
9. Sheldon Adelson
American business tycoon Sheldon Adelson is
the CEO and chairman of the Las Vegas
Sands casino empire. With a net worth of
$37 billion, he is the eighth richest person in
the world. Business runs through his veins. At
12, he borrowed $200 from his uncle to
start selling newspapers. At 16, he entered a
candy-vending machine business. Later, he
attended the City College of New York to
become a court reporter, but dropped out
after two years to join the army. Then, he
began selling toiletry kits and after several
jobs as a salesman, consultant, and tour-
business operator, he started a charter-tour
business that brought him his first millions.
In his 30′s, he made and lost his fortune
twice. After a series of failed investments,
he founded a trade show for the computer
industry, named Comdex, and cashed in
millions leasing exhibition space. In the late
1980′s, he and his business partners bought
Sands Casino.
10. David Geffen
Unlike most self-made billionaires who left
college to start a successful business right
away, David Geffen's road was a bit rockier.
He graduated from high school barely
passing with a 66 percent average. After
attending three semesters at the University
of Texas in Austin and enrolling in the
Brooklyn College only to drop out again, he
went on to work for ten years in the
entertainment business before founding
Asylum Records in the 1970′s. In 1980 he
started Geffen Records, and in 1990 DGC
Records. With a current net worth of $5.5
billion, David Geffen is now one of the three
co-founders of DreamWorks SKG.
Unlike most self-made billionaires who leftcollege to start a successful business right
away, David Geffen's road was a bit rockier.
He graduated from high school barely
passing with a 66 percent average. After
attending three semesters at the University
of Texas in Austin and enrolling in the
Brooklyn College only to drop out again, he
went on to work for ten years in the
entertainment business before founding
Asylum Records in the 1970′s. In 1980 he
started Geffen Records, and in 1990 DGC
Records. With a current net worth of $5.5
billion, David Geffen is now one of the three
co-founders of DreamWorks SKG.
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