6 Billionaires Who Didn't Finish College

Billionaires Who Didn't Finish College. Image: Bornrealist.com

It's commonly believed that successful individuals are likely to be wealthy, hold powerful positions, manage large businesses, and boast impressive educational backgrounds, often from prestigious institutions abroad.

However, this stereotype can be easily challenged by the stories of several incredibly successful figures who, despite their promising academic paths, did not complete their college education.

These iconic personalities prove that success does not solely stem from a high level of education but rather from relentless dedication to building their dreams and ventures.

Many of them made the tough decision to leave college behind to pursue their aspirations. Among these prominent figures are Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs, all of whom have attained billionaire status.

Six highly influential and wealthy individuals who exemplify this counter-narrative of success without a college degree:

1. Steve Jobs

The co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, departed from Reed College in 1972 at the age of 19, feeling that his education was becoming a burden on his family. He later embarked on a journey to India in 1974 to study Zen Buddhism aesthetics. Eventually, he founded Apple, which revolutionized the tech industry.

As stated by India Times, Steve Jobs had a net worth of approximately $10.2 billion at the time of his passing. During a commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005, Jobs expressed gratitude for the calligraphy course he attended at Reed, which inspired the typography he used in Apple's first Macintosh.

Despite his death on October 5, 2011, Jobs’s legacy continues to thrive, with Apple remaining a leading name in technology worldwide.

2. Bill Gates

Bill Gates attended Harvard University for two years before dropping out in 1975 to establish Microsoft. By 2010, Harvard Crimson acknowledged Gates as Harvard's most successful dropout.

As of now, according to Forbes, Gates has an astounding wealth of $109.3 billion, making him the seventh richest person in the world.

3. Mark Zuckerberg

Like Gates, Mark Zuckerberg also studied at Harvard but left without graduating to focus on developing Facebook, a social networking platform he created with friends. According to The Facebook Effect, Zuckerberg needed only five minutes to decide to leave his studies.

Today, Zuckerberg has expanded his business into what is known as Meta, which encompasses Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Recently, he launched Instagram's Threads, directly competing with Elon Musk's Twitter. Unsurprisingly, Forbes ranks him as the eighth richest person globally, with a net worth of $107.1 billion.

4. Michael Dell

At just 19 years old, Michael Dell dropped out of the University of Texas at Austin to launch Dell Technologies. While a student, he spent his time upgrading PCs and selling them from his dorm room.

His earnings during the first month totaled an impressive $180,000, prompting him to leave college for good. Today, Michael Dell is the sixteenth richest person globally, with a fortune of $71.2 billion, as reported by Forbes.

5. Jan Koum

Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp, worked diligently during his college years but ultimately dropped out of San Jose State University before graduation.

Following this, he spent nine years working at Yahoo, and he later created the globally popular messaging app WhatsApp in 2009. Forbes ranks Koum as the 109th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $15.2 billion.

6. Evan Williams

Before becoming a prominent figure in the tech industry, Evan Williams had a brief stint in academia at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln for three semesters, before eventually dropping out.

Williams pursued opportunities as a freelance software programmer for companies like Intel and Hewlett-Packard before landing a job at Google. Later, he embarked on creating Twitter, becoming a billionaire in the process. As per Forbes, his net worth currently stands at $1.9 billion.

These remarkable individuals illustrate that success can often come from determination, innovation, and a willingness to follow one's passion, rather than strictly following the conventional educational route.