20 Successful Entrepreneurs Who Didn’t Graduate College

Is college education really the key to professional success? Most of us are taught that a degree is a prerequisite, however the reality is a bit more complex.  You can get a great degree (and rack up a ton of debt in the process) and go on to have an average career. You can skip college and get by too.

We’ve compiled a list of 20 successful entrepreneurs that show us that life has more than one path to success, and with enough talent, motivation and definitely luck, almost anything is attainable.

Here’s our list of well known entrepreneurs who made it without college education.

  1. David Kurp, founder of Tumblr. Dropped out of school at 15 to then get homeschooled. Never attended college.
  2. Rachel Ray, cooking TV show star. Never attended college and had no formal training in culinary arts. She also became an author and businesswoman.
  3. Charles Culpeper, owner and CEO of Coca Cola. Dropped out of high school.
  4. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple. Dropped out of Reed college because his parents could not afford it. At the time of his death, his net worth was $11 billion.
  5. Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Facebook. Harvard University dropout.
  6. John Mackey, founder of Whole Foods supermarket. Dropped out of college six times.
  7. Fredrick Henry Royce, co-founder of Rolls-Royce. He actually dropped out of elementary school.
  8. Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company. Never attended college.
  9. Ray Kroc, founder of McDonalds. Dropped out of high school.
  10. Richard DeVos, co-founder of Amway. Did not attend college but served in the army.
  11. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile and many other Virgin brands. Dropped out of high school at the age of 16.
  12. Walt Disney, founder of Walt Disney Company.  Dropped out of high school at the age of 16.
  13. Steve Madden, shoe designer. Dropped out of college. http://www.stevemadden.com
  14. Russell Simmons, founder of Russell Simmons Music Group, Phat Farm, co-founder of Def Jam Records. Didn’t finish college and also managed to be a bestselling author.
  15. Micky Arison, co-founder of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise operator. Owns NBA’s Miami Heats. Dropped out of The University of Miami.
  16. John Paul DeJoria, founder of Patron. Once told by his high school teacher that he “would never succeed at anything.” Never attended college .
  17. Susan Lyne, CEO of AOL. Dropped out of college.
  18. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. Dropped out of Harvard University.
  19. Evan Williams, co-founder of Twitter. Went to The University of Nebraska for a year then dropped out.
  20. Ralph Lauren, founder of Ralph Lauren Corp. Attended Baruch College for two years then dropped out to join the Army.

SHARE THIS STORY

Share on facebook
Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on email

RELATED POSTS

What Is the Sunk-Cost Fallacy and How to Avoid It

What Is the Sunk-Cost Fallacy and How to Avoid It

Sunk cost fallacy refers to a situation where an irrecoverable expense (“sunk cost”) has been made and is used as a justification to continue that endeavor, no matter how futile it may be. Almost all of us have made irrecoverable expenses in our day-to-day lives, like buying tickets to a film or a concert.

How News Affects the Stock Market

How News Affects the Stock Market

In January this year, the U.S.-based Hindenburg Research released a report accusing the Indian conglomerate Adani Group of stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The report received widespread media coverage, causing Adani’s stock prices to plummet. The founder and chairman of the Adani Group, Gautam Adani, lost US$34 million of his net worth in just a week after the report was released.

Indian Inventions You Probably Never Knew About

Indian Inventions You Probably Never Knew About

As home to one of the oldest civilizations in the world, India has contributed tremendously to the technological development of the world. Some of the most important inventions that originated in ancient India are the concept of the number “zero”, the game of chess and even the first known accounts of plastic surgery.

The Top 5 Biggest Flops of Shockvertising

The Top 5 Biggest Flops of Shockvertising

Shockvertising (shock+ advertising) is a tactic where an advertiser uses taboo subjects or provocative themes to incite a strong public reaction. This tactic has been known to be quite successful in raising awareness and encouraging behavioral change surrounding acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Unleashing the Power of AI: Can It Rival the Divine

Unleashing the Power of AI: Can It Rival the Divine

In January this year, Google engineer Sukuru Sai Vineet created GITA GPT (generative pre-trained transformer). GITA GPT is a GPT-3 based artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot that references the Hindu sacred book Bhagwat Gita to answer questions about people’s issues.

A Look at the Top Nepo Babies in Tech

Born to Succeed: A Look at the Top Nepo Babies in Tech

A buzzword floating around the internet nowadays is “nepo baby” (short for nepotism baby). The term refers to the children of individuals who have succeeded in a specific industry. These children are set up for success right from the get-go, thanks to their parents’ fame and connections.