Dropped Out, Cashed In: Billionaires Who Skipped the College Degree but Won Big
We learn that if we get a college degree, we have the golden ticket for success. Well, about a quarter of today’s billionaires never finished school, and they are doing just fine.
Are you ready to meet these 22 bold people who decided to skip the diploma, managed to make it rain, and even changed the world in some cases?
Evan Williams: $1.9 Billion
He arrived at Silicon Valley fame from soybean fields, making him the definition of a self-made billionaire. Growing up, he worked with his family at their farm in Nebraska. He gave college a shot at the University of Nebraska but decided he had better plans.
After he dropped out, he taught himself how to code, and alongside two friends, he built the blogging platform called “Blogger.” After Google snapped it up, Williams co-founded Twitter (now X), and he’s sitting on a $1.9 billion fortune, not even making waves.
Ted Turner: $2.5 Billion
He swapped college life (Brown University) for the real-world hustle at his father’s company. Apparently, he didn’t just work there; he took over Turner Advertising and transformed it.
Ted Turner rebranded it as Turner Broadcasting, and he brought it to the form of a billion-dollar media empire. Ted’s worth is $2.5 billion, and he spends much of his time giving back, focusing on restoring America’s natural landscapes.
Oprah Winfrey: $3 Billion
Her path to a $3 billion net worth is anything but ordinary. Oprah was born into poverty; she enrolled at Tennessee State University but dropped out when she scored her first radio gig at 19.
However, she refused to take the stage when she was invited to deliver the commencement speech by TSU without finishing what she started. Even if she managed to get a hit TV show, an Oscar, and her own company, she turned in her final paper and officially earned her degree. Only then did she step up to the mic and make the whole experience unforgettable.
Travis Kalanick: $3.6 Billion
Kalanick ditched college life because he wanted to chase bigger dreams. He dived into tech with startups RedSwoosh and Scour. What really put him on the map was co-founding Uber in 2009. That was when he literally changed how the world moves.
He stepped down as Uber’s CEO in 2017 and left the board in 2019, cashing out his 4% stake for billions. These days, he’s running CloudKitchens, a virtual restaurant empire, and owns a fortune of $3.6 billion.
Barry Diller: $4.5 Billion
After he dropped out of college, he climbed the ranks at ABC, Fox, and Paramount, where he helped with iconic TV shows such as The Simpsons and Cheers.
Back in 1995, he founded the internet and media powerhouse IAC and expanded his reach further. Diller is also the chairman of Expedia. He married the fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Moreover, there are rumors he owns a big stake of her brand as well. His estimated net worth is around $4.1 billion.
Jack Dorsey: $4.2 Billion
He didn’t need a diploma to leave a mark. He studied at Missouri University of Science and Technology and later at NYU but didn’t end up finishing any of them. He was chasing a bigger idea that would eventually become Twitter.
In 2021, he stepped away from Twitter. He’s also the co-founder of payments giant Square (now Block). His net worth is estimated at $4.3 billion.
Gabe Newell $4.3 Billion
Gabe Netwell decided to take a tour of Harvard, and it paid big time. In 1998, he cofounded Valve Corporation, a big step in the gaming world.
Today, he’s the CEO of Valve, divided into Steam, the digital game store, with a net worth of $4.3 billion. His legacy is clearly locked in, and he didn’t stop making waves.
Steven Spielberg: $4.8
While he didn’t have a smooth ride into college, Steven Spielberg didn’t even stick around long when he finally made it in. He dropped out to make a short film, which led him to a job at Universal. This was the moment that helped him launch a legendary career.
He cofounded DreamWorks with Jeffrey Katzenberg and another fellow billionaire dropout, David Geffen. Today, his net worth reached the jaw-dropping amount of $4.8 billion. Spielberg has a story that proves sometimes the biggest blockbusters start outside the classroom.
Carl Icahn: $5.5
Trading medical school for the army, then trading the army for Wall Street domination, Carl Icahn founded his own firm in 1968 and never looked back.
Love him or hate him, he built a fortune that now stands at $5.5 billion, known for his aggressive takeovers of giants like American Airlines, TWA, and Texaco. There is no denying he managed to rewrite the rules of corporate America.
Ralph Lauren: $9.2 Billion
Born in the Bronx, Ralph Lauren got his first part-time job in the garment industry when he was only a teen. He dropped out of school not long before Neiman Marcus snapped up 1,200 of his uniquely designed ties.
This is the story behind one of the most iconic brands, and now he boasts a net worth of around $9.2 billion.
Giorgio Armani: $12 Billion
Trading medical school for the army and eventually trading the army for the world of fashion, Giorgio Armani started as a buyer and window dresser in a Milanese department store. Soon, he launched his own label in the mid-1970s, and the rest became history.
Today, his brand spans everything from accessories to couture to sportswear and perfumes. His net worth is touching the jaw-dropping amount of $12 billion. Armani’s legacy is one of unrivaled, timeless style.
Dustin Moskovitz: $17.9 billion
Moskovitz was the Harvard roommate who helped Mark Zuckerberg when he launched Facebook. After dropping out of university and leaving the social media giant, he co-founded Asana, a leading workflow software company.
His entrepreneurial journey is still thriving, and much of his $17.9 billion fortune comes from his 2% stake in Facebook. This is proof that sometimes the best ventures come from bold decisions.
Li Ka-shing: $36.7 Billion
Fleeing war-torn China in 1940, his family settles in Hong Kong. After the death of his father, Ka-shing dropped out of school and started to work in a plastics factory. He was only 15.
His determination to succeed led him to open his own factory. He expanded it into real estate and acquired Hutchison Whampoa, a global conglomerate with interests in container ports. His empire spans tech, retail, and beyond, with an estimated net worth of $36.7 billion.
Amancio Ortega: $114.7
His journey started at 14 when he dropped out of school to run errands for shirt stores. This was an early experience that led him to create Inditex, the fashion empire behind brands such as Zara, Pull&Bear, and Massimo Dutti. He stepped down from the chair in 2011, but he still remains the wealthiest man in Spain.
Bill Gates: $135 Billion
He left Harvard University to spend time turning his vision into reality. He co-founded Microsoft and built it into the world’s largest software company.
He now has a net worth of $135 billion, holding the title of the world’s richest person for 13 years. Bill Gates is a philanthropist at heart, so he and his former wife, Melinda, dedicate their wealth to tackling global poverty and disease, making a lasting impact on the world.
Mark Zuckerberg: $179.7 Billion
Dropping out of Harvard University during his sophomore year, he pursued his vision for Facebook.
Today, he has a net worth of $179.7 billion, and he owns around 13% of the company. In 2015, he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, made a pledge to give away 99% of their Meta shares over their lifetimes, committing to create a positive impact on the world.
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