Starting a successful business is no easy feat. It takes drive, passion, timing and often, sheer luck.

For some ambitious entrepreneurs, the structure of College stifled their creativity and drive to build something game-changing. Dropping out was the best decision they could make to focus entirely on their startups.

While college provides important foundations, real-world experience trumps textbook learning. As visionary Apple founder Steve Jobs famously said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” We can’t always see where life’s twists and turns will take us in the moment. Trusting your instincts and making bold moves positions you for success.

Here are some of the biggest names who Dropped out of college to start massively successful companies. Their stories dispel the myth that you need a college degree to make it big.

Bill Gates – Microsoft

Bill Gates built software company Microsoft into the world’s biggest PC software company.

• Dropped out of Harvard at age 20 to start Microsoft with childhood friend Paul Allen.
• Microsoft went public in 1986, making Gates a billionaire at age 31.
• Gates was CEO of Microsoft until 2000 and Chairman until 2014.
• Gates has been the world’s richest person for a sizable chunk of the last three decades. His current net worth sits around $135 billion.

Gates has no regrets about leaving Harvard. In 2007, he told Harvard students:

“I’m a bad influence. That’s why I was invited to speak at your graduation. If I had spoken at your orientation, fewer of you might be here today.”

While his success is exceptional, Gates believes leaving University to pursue his vision was the best path forward. Not everyone has that conviction and courage.

Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook

In his sophomore year at Harvard University in 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook from his dorm room.

• Originally launched only for Harvard students, Facebook quickly expanded to other universities, then the world.
• Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard in 2005 to focus full-time on Facebook in Palo Alto. He was 20 years old.
• Facebook went public in 2012 in one of the biggest IPOs ever. Zuckerberg was just 28 when he became a billionaire.
• Facebook has faced controversies over privacy, political influence, and misinformation. But its impact is undeniable, with over 2 billion monthly active users.

For driven entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg, structured education pales in comparison to bringing their ideas to life. Zuckerberg doesn’t regret leaving Harvard when he did, saying “It was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made”.

Michael Dell – Dell Technologies

Michael Dell pioneered the direct-to-consumer business model for personal computers.

• Founded PC company Dell from his college dorm room at age 19 in 1984.
• Dropped out of the University of Texas after his freshman year to focus full-time on the business.
• Dell went public in 1988, making Michael Dell a billionaire at just 24 years old.
• Dell remained CEO of the company until 2004, then again from 2007 until present.
• Dell Technologies remains one of the world’s largest technology infrastructure companies.

Michael Dell had a clear vision that going to class was less important than growing his booming business. He recently tweeted:

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.”

Hands-on experience running his company gave him real-world knowledge no class could match.

Oprah Winfrey – Harpo Productions, OWN

Long before Oprah Winfrey became a billionaire media mogul, she was studying communications at Tennessee State University.

• Winfrey left college at age 19 to co-anchor the local evening news in Baltimore, Maryland.
• She then hosted popular talk shows AM Chicago and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
• Winfrey became the first Black female billionaire in the US. Her current net worth is around $2.5 billion.
• She founded her own television network OWN in 2011.

On following her dreams, Oprah has said:

“Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”

Leaving college catapulted Winfrey into her destiny of becoming the “Queen of All Media.”

Steve Jobs – Apple

Steve Jobs exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit. His innovations at Apple revolutionized personal computing and mobile technology.

• Dropped out of Reed College after one semester. Stayed on campus auditing creative classes for 18 months.
• Jobs co-founded Apple Computer with Steve Wozniak in 1976.
• Ousted from Apple in 1985, then brought back as CEO in 1997.
• Led Apple’s revolutionary successes with the iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad.
• Became a revered CEO and billionaire thanks to Apple’s comeback story.

Jobs personalized his commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005 with this recollection:

“I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents’ savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn’t see the value in it…. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out.”

Leaving college freed Jobs to figure out his true passions and purpose. The tech icon regretted nothing.

Larry Ellison – Oracle

Larry Ellison built database software company Oracle into one of the largest tech companies in the world.

• Dropped out of the University of Illinois and University of Chicago after one term at each.
• Moved to California in 1966 and began developing Oracle in 1977.
• Led Oracle as CEO until 2014. Remains Chairman and Chief Technology Officer.
• Has an estimated current net worth of about $85 billion.

Of his brief college stints, Ellison has said:

“I wanted to be in California and wanted to start working, so I just sort of looked around and figured out how I could make some money and never went back.”

Ellison’s prioritization of gaining real-world skills over classroom lectures served him well in building the tech giant Oracle.

Evan Williams – Twitter

Evan Williams pioneered social media and blogging platforms that changed how we communicate online.

• Left the University of Nebraska-Lincoln after two years to pursue an entrepreneurial path.
• Founded early blogging platform Pyra Labs, which launched Blogger. Sold to Google in 2003.
• Co-founded Twitter in 2006 and served as CEO until 2010. Remains on the Board of Directors.
• Started online publishing platform Medium in 2012.

On leaving college, Williams said:

“I just never felt like school led to anything that I wanted to do. The things I was interested in were starting companies and technology.”

His interests outside of academia led him to incredible success.

John Mackey – Whole Foods Market

John Mackey took natural foods mainstream by growing Whole Foods Market.

• Began studying philosophy and religion at the University of Texas Austin but soon dropped out.
• Opened the first Whole Foods in 1980 at age 25.
• Grew Whole Foods into the world’s leading natural foods retailer.
• Remained CEO until 2017, now serves as Chairman.

Mackey eschewed the traditional career path to follow his entrepreneurial dreams:

“I think I was born an entrepreneur. I never really fit well into the educational establishment.“

His passion for natural foods far exceeded his interest in academics.

Travis Kalanick – Uber

Travis Kalanick unleashed the sharing economy revolution with ride-hailing app Uber.

• Dropped out of UCLA in 1998 to work at an internet start-up.
• Founded UberCab in 2009, renamed simply Uber in 2010.
• Led Uber’s massive growth as CEO until 2017. Remains member of the Board.
• Uber went public in 2019 at a valuation of $75.5 billion.

On cutting his college career short, Kalanick has said:

“My parents were like, ‘What? UCLA? That’s the dream school. What are you talking about? How can you leave?’ But it turned out to be the right decision.“

Chasing his entrepreneurial dreams paid off in a big way.

Jan Koum – WhatsApp

Jan Koum revolutionized online messaging with the creation of WhatsApp.

• Dropped out of San Jose State University in 1997 to work at Yahoo.
• Co-founded WhatsApp in 2009, which quickly became the world’s largest messaging app.
• Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 for $19 billion.
• Koum served as WhatsApp’s CEO until leaving Facebook in 2018.

On leaving college, Koum has said:

“I was in my early 20s. I had no family here. I realized if I don’t become a millionaire by the age of 30, I would be doomed forever.“

That hunger to succeed fueled his meteoric rise.

Ritesh Agarwal – OYO Rooms

Ritesh Agarwal founded hotel chain OYO Rooms while still a teenager.

• Dropped out of college at age 17 to become an entrepreneur.
• Launched OYO in 2013 to organize India’s small independent hotels.
• Grew OYO into the world’s largest hotel chain by room count.
• Became the second youngest self-made billionaire from India.

On learning more from real-world experience than in lectures, Agarwal has said:

“When I was 17, my father told me very clearly – you either go out and do a job or start a business. And I chose [entrepreneurship].”

Agarwal’s ambition has paid off in just a few short years.

Are you next?

The phenomenally successful people above show why passion and hustle matter more than a college pedigree. If you have a big vision, don’t let the structure of traditional education stop you from chasing it.

Develop in-demand skills, learn from experienced mentors, and avoid taking on debt. By focusing on rounding out your knowledge and gaining hands-on experience, you’ll be well-equipped to start a company or excel in your career.

College offers some benefits, but it’s no guarantee of success. Fortunes can change in an instant. Opportunity favors the bold.

Like Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards.” Trust yourself and take leaps of faith towards your goals. The future belongs to the dreamers and doers who seize it.

You could be the next billionaire college dropout!

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