Top Ten College Dropouts - BusinessWeek
Top Ten College Dropouts
Posted by: Louis Lavelle on September 16
Do you need a college degree to succeed? The “College On The Record” web site answers that question with a resounding “No!” Here’s its list—in David Letterman fashion, starting with No. 10—of drop-outs who made it really, really, really big. With a “B” as in billions. Add your own in the comments section.
10. YC Wang is not even a college drop out. Nope, he’s not a high school drop out either…he has an elementary school degree. He built Formosa Plastics into one of Asia’s largest petrochemical producers. $5.1 Billion.
9. David Geffen is dubbed the “richest man in Hollywood,” after co-founding DreamWorks with Steven Spielberg. Before that he made it big with Asylum Records and Geffen Records. He is also the owner of LA Times. $4.7 Billion, dropped out from University of Texas, Austin.
8. Stanley Ho is the “King of Gambling.” He made his money where others lose theirs, casinos. He is responsible for 1/3 of Macau’s GDP after dropping out of college. $7 Billion.
7. Donald Newhouse, along with his brother, Samuel, took over their father's newspaper/publication company, Advanced Publications. Together, they run publications such as The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. $7.3 Billion, dropped out of Syracuse University.
6. Jack Taylor dropped out of college because he had to serve in the Navy during WWII. He later founded Rent-a-Car instead of returning to college. $13.9 Billion, dropped out of Washington University.
5. Paul Allen is Bill Gates' right hand man. He teamed up with Gates, after dropping out of college, to start Microsoft. He owns both the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers. $18 Billion, dropped out of Washington State University.
4. Steve Jobs is the CEO of Apple. He dropped out of college after one semester and virtually ntroduced to us "iRevolution." $5.7 Billion, dropped out of Reed College, Oregon.
3. Michael Dell is the founder of the second largest computer company, Dell Computers. $15.8 Billion, dropped out of University of Texas, Austin.
2. Larry Ellison has been the head of Oracle Systems for over 30 years. He's also acquired over $19 billion worth of software companies. $21.5 Billion, dropped out of Illinois University.
1. Of course, Bill Gates is ranked number 1. After dropping out of one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, Gates founded Microsoft with his friend, Paul Allen. He received his honorary Bachelor's Degree when he spoke at Harvard's Class of 2007 Commencement, 30 years after dropping out. $56 Billion, dropped out of Harvard University.
