Everyone is fond of higher education. We are all brought up in a way that going to school and getting high grades will fetch good career. But wait; is qualification only the criteria to become successful? Do we really need to go to school if we want to build a successful business?
We all need education but these days it has become just a degree certificate without knowledge. In today’s scenario, degree and education doesn’t matter anymore. It’s all about talent. If you can prove your skills, gates are open to reach pinnacle position.
There are plenty of entrepreneurs who were college dropouts and proved that we don’t need a piece of paper from a university to live the dream. Let’s have a glance at the lives of some successful college dropouts.
1. Bill Gates
Well, is there anyone who doesn’t know Bill Gates? Absolutely not! Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, dropped out of Harvard University in 1975 to co-found Microsoft. While this techie might still look like 14-year-old pasty teen, Gates is estimated to be worth $76 billion.
2.Steve Jobs
Whenever we hear about iPhone, the person comes to mind is Steve Jobs. Although he did graduate from Homestead High School in 1972, he ended up dropping out of Reed College. At the time of his death in 2011, Jobs’ net worth was $11 billion.
3.Mark Zuckerberg
Graduating from Harvard university is a dream of so many people. But Mark dropped out of Harvard to pursue his dreams and passion. He created the most influential social website ever and his net worth is estimated to be US$53.6 billion as of 2017.
4.Evan Spiegal
The co-founder and controversial CEO of Snapchat is the world’s youngest self made billionaire. With an estimated net worth of $2.1 billion, 26-year-old Spiegel is the youngest billionaire in the world, according to Forbes.
5.Richard Branson
Founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile and other Virgin brands, Richard Branson’s net worth is said to be roughly $4.9 billion. Branson never completed high school and dropped out at the age of 16. He also had poor academic performance. But nothing could stop him from making a name for himself.
6.Abraham Lincoln
Although Lincoln attended school for less than a year in total and had to teach himself grammar when he was 23.
7.Will Smith
Perhaps the biggest star of the last 20 years, the musician-turned-actor has seemingly been in one commercial success after another, from his start on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" to "Men in Black" to "Hitch." In order to pursue a career in music, smith dropped out pre-engineering program at MIT. The Newsweek called him “The Most Powerful Actor in Bollywood“.
8.David Geffen
Even though David Geffen attended three colleges, but he didn’t graduate. He has a net worth of $6 billion. Geffen is a music executive who founded DreamWorks and Geffen Records and is now a part of Universal Music Group.
9.Larry Ellision
Being dropped out of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Ellison founded enterprise software company Oracle. Today, Oracle has sales of almost $40 billion, allowing Ellison to buy a $110 million estate in California.
10.Pete Cashmore
Cashmore is the CEO and founder of Mashable which is one of the most widely read blogs in the world. Instead of continuing his studies in Scotland, he chose to found the top-ten tech blog when he was just 19. Since then, he’s gone onto write for CNN and in 2012 Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. His net worth in 2017 is $95 million.
11.David Green
David Green never went to college but his net worth is nearly $6 billion. This founder of Hobby Lobby a chain of arts and crafts stores has a high school diploma, but passed on higher education to start his own home-based business in 1970 on a $600 loan. By 1972, the business was successful enough that he was able to open his first retail store. He funds Christian education systems and as of 2012, he is said to have donated roughly $500 million.
12.Henry Ford
Ford’s story is somewhat different from the rest of the people in this list. He figured out how to mass produce the basis of the modern car on his own and he started by dissembling a watch his father had given him when he was 15. Brilliant isn’t he? The net worth of Company is $199 billion.
13.Michael Dell
Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Computers, net worth is said to be nearly $20 billion. Even though he attended the University of Texas, he eventually dropped out and started forming the foundations of Dell in his college dorm room. By 1992, Dell had become the youngest CEO on the Fortune 500 list at 27.
14.Ralph Lauren
The CEO and Chairman of Ralph Lauren Corp has a net worth of $7 billion. He went to Baruch College for two years but dropped out to join the army. After his stint in the army, in 1976, he began designing neckties for Beau Brummel and later that year he launched Polo with $50,000. The company has since been extended to a full menswear line that sells clothing, shoes, jewelry, home goods, and fragrances. Ralph Lauren has a collection of over 70 vehicles.
After reading about these successful college dropouts, one thing is clear. To reach great position in life, degrees and grades are not all that is needed. Courage to pursue your passion and a strong sense of determination is equally important to reach great heights and become successful in one’s career.
Where there is a will, there is a way. An education can either be a stepping stone or a road block on the path to achievement. What do you say? Share us in the comments.