 |
| Sir Richard Branson |
I belong to the school of thought, that believe that the best kind of education is Self-Education. I mean the education you give your self by learning, reading, attending seminars and training programs, and getting and seeking a mentor. No wonders, most university (college) Professors are broke, because the world's education systems including business schools is designed to teach, equip and inspire us to go too school, get good grades, and get a high paying job, instead to go to school and graduate with good grades and set up your own business and employ others to work for you.
Some said that if you dont have a dream of your own, you will fit into some else's dream. That reminds me of the tragic stampede that happened in my country, Nigeria recently. Where of 700, 000 unemployed graduates went to seek for and trample upon themselves for 4,000 vacant positions in the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). People are condition by our education system to go for mirages such as, job security and financial security instead of financial freedom.
One can actually create business and companies from the scratch irrespective of the persons educational qualification, this is the reason why a whole lot of people that are not hold any degree or dropped out of school multi-millionaires in my country and in the world at large. Below are the list of some of them that are popular worldwide. This report would sure inspire you to educate and develop your self in your chosen field
Do
you feel dejected or left behind by your peers because you don’t have a college
degree? Do you see your supposed illiteracy as a limitation to achieving your
dreams? Or are you in the group that thinks education is the ultimate yardstick
for success? If any of these questions best describes you, then please
read on.
How does it sound to
your ears that most of the world’s richest men and women were school drop outs? Well don’t be
surprised; it’s the truth.
“I have nothing
against education. But at times, education gives people false confidence. It
makes people relax, trusting in the power of their certificates rather than in
working hard.” – Rasaq Okoya
Today, I will be sharing with you a
brief compilation of the entrepreneurial success stories of self made men and
women; who took the bull by the horn by building a business, without being held
back by the lack of a college degree. These men and women found their entrepreneurial
spirit, surmounted business challenges, completed the entrepreneurial process
and became successful entrepreneurs.
“I have been within
the four walls of school and I have been on the street. I can confidently tell
you that the street is tougher, challenging, daring, exciting and more
rewarding. In school; you play alone. But on the street, you play with the big
boys.” – Ajaero Tony Martins
Warren Buffett, Mo Ibrahim, Mike
Adenuga, Oprah Winfrey, George Soros, John D. Rockefeller, Sam Walton, Jerry
Yang and David Filo, Anita Roddick, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Jeff Bezos,
Pierre Omidyar, Martha Stewart, Henry Ross Perot and Aliko Dangote; the richest
black man in the world did not make the list because they possessed college
degrees. Without wasting much of your time, below is a comprehensive list of
some of the world’s richest school drop out billionaires.
“Behind every
adversity is an opportunity. If you lament over the adversity, you will miss
the opportunity.” – Ajaero Tony Martins
·
List of the Richest School Drop Out Billionaires and
Successful Entrepreneurs
1. Bill
Gates:
He is the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, the world largest
software company. Dropped out of Harvard to focus on building Microsoft.
According to Forbes magazine, Bill Gates has held the position of the world
richest man for thirteen consecutive years and he not showing a sign of letting
go that position.
“To
win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” – Bill Gates
“We were young, but we
had good advice good ideas and lots of enthusiasm.” – Bill Gates
2. Thomas
Edison:
Thomas Edison was labeled dumb and scatterbrain by his school teachers but he
went on to become one of the world’s greatest inventors and founded General
Electric; one of the most powerful companies in the world.
“Many of life’s
failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when
they gave up.” – Thomas Edison
3. Orji
Uzor Kalu: He is one of the richest men on the soil of Africa. This
young billionaire was rusticated from college for his participation in a
student’s protest. Instead of lamenting over his predicament; he started
trading on palm oil and from that humble beginning, he grew his business into a
conglomerate “Slok Group.” Though he was later pardoned by the
school authorities, he rejected the amnesty offer thereby refusing to return to
school.
“A good businessman
must have nose for business the same way a journalist has nose for news. Once
your eyes, ears, nose, heart and brain are trained on business, you sniff
business opportunities everywhere.” – Orji Uzor Kalu
4. Li
Ka Shing:
Billionaire owner of Hutchinson Whampoa; one of the largest conglomerates in
Hong Kong, with operations that span over fifty countries and more than 220,000
staff worldwide. Dropped out of school at the age of 15 and started out by
selling watch bands.
“The first year, I
didn’t have much capital so I did everything myself. I had to keep my overhead
low by learning everything about running a business, from accounting to fixing
the gears of my equipment. I really started from scratch.” – Li Ka Shing
5. Richard
Branson:
Best known for his adventurous spirit and outrageous business tactics. He
dropped out of school at the age of 16 to start his first successful business
venture; Student Magazine, bought his own 79-acre Caribbean island when he
was just 24 and he was knighted in 1999. He is the billionaire founder of the
Virgin brand and its 360 companies. His companies include the famous Virgin
Atlantic Airways.
“I wanted to be an
editor or journalist. I wasn’t really interested in becoming an entrepreneur,
but I soon found I had to become an entrepreneur in order to keep my magazine
going.” – Richard Branson
6. Lawrence
J. Ellison: Larry Ellison dropped out of college twice and was told by
his adoptive father that he would never amount to anything but he went on to
become a billionaire by building Oracle, the world’s second largest software
company.
“I have had all the
disadvantages required for success.” – Larry Ellison
7. Michael
Dell: He dropped out
of college at the age of 19 to start PC’s Limited; later renamed Dell Computers
Inc. Dell became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world making
Michael Dell a billionaire.
“I had to give it a
full go and see what happened.” – Michael Dell
8. Steve
Jobs:
Billionaire co-founder of Apple Inc and Pixar; dropped out of Reed College to
start Apple.
9. Henry
Ford:
This automobile billionaire was born in abject poverty. He never saw the four
walls of school but he went on to build Ford Motor Company and become one of
the richest men that ever lived.
“Thinking is the
hardest work to do, that’s why so few people are engaged in it.” – Henry Ford
10. Walt
Disney:
Walt, regarded as the most influential animator because of his creativity with
cartoons. He dropped out of high school at 16 and founded Walt Disney; a
company which now has an annual revenue of about $30billion.
“If you can dream it,
you can do it.” – Walt Disney
11. Ray
Kroc:
Billionaire Ray Kroc never saw the four walls of school and spent most of his
life working as a salesman. He bought McDonald’s in 1961 for $2.7m and grew it
into a multi billion dollar company.
“Press on. Nothing in
the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more
common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of
educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Ray
Kroc
12. Debbi
Fields:
A 20 year old housewife with no education and business experience started Mrs.
Fields Chocolate Chippery and became the most successful cookie company owner.
She later renamed, franchised, and then sold Mrs. Field’s Cookies.
“You don’t have to be
superhuman to do what you believe in.” – Debbi Fields
13. Cosmos
Maduka:
Nigerian Elementary school drop out and billionaire founder of the Coscharis
Group.
14. Ingvar
Kamprad:
Billionaire founder of IKEA. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to
start IKEA; now the top home furniture retailer in the world, with over 90,000
employees working in its 200-plus stores, and annual revenues in excess of $10
billion.
“I’m not afraid of
turning 80 and I have lots of things to do. I don’t have time for dying.” –
Ingvar Kamprad
15. Carl
Lindner:
Billionaire investor and founder of United Dairy Farmers. He dropped out of
high school at the age of 14 to deliver milk for his family diary.
16. Simon
Cowell:
Famous for his involvement in American Idols, he dropped out of school at age
16 and started his own record label “Fanfare” at the age of 23.
“Good is not enough;
you’ve got to be great.” – Simon Cowell
17. Mary
Kay Ash:
Founder of Mary Kay Inc and best known as the most outstanding business woman
in the 20th century. Mary never saw the four walls of school.
“When you reach an
obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome
and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice
is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that
failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than
to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash
18. Coco
Chanel:
Fashion magnate and founder of the Coco Chanel brand, she never saw the four
walls of school.
19. Wayne
Huizenga:
Wayne is the only person in history to build three Fortune 1000 companies
practically from scratch: Waste Management Inc, Blockbuster Entertainment and
AutoNation. He is the only person to have developed six NYSE-listed companies.
He also owns the Miami Dolphins and is previous owner of the Florida Marlins
baseball team and the Panthers hockey team, making him the only person ever to
own three pro teams in a single market, two of which won national
championships. He dropped out of college to join a friend in a garbage
collection business.
20. Barry
Diller:
This billionaire media magnate dropped out of college to start Fox Broadcasting
Company. He is chairman of Expedia, and was once the CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp
which includes Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster.
“There’s a world in
which reasons are made up because reality is too painful.” – Barry Diller
21. Andrew
Carnegie:
Founder of Carnegie Steel Company and one of the richest men that ever lived.
Born in abject poverty, Andrew never saw the four walls of school.
“I shall argue that
strong men conversely know when to compromise and that all principles can be
compromised to serve a greater purpose.” – Andrew Carnegie
22. Sir
Philip Green: Billionaire retail mogul and owner of the Arcadia brand, he
dropped out of school at the age of 16. After four business failures, Philip
Green made his first million at the age of 33.
“If you’ve got a natural
talent, I think it’s fantastic. If I wasn’t in retail, being a singer or a
tennis player would be a better idea.” – Sir Philip Green
23. Madame
C. J. Walker: She was born into the family of ex-slaves and farmers.
Despite being widowed at the age of 20 and faced with extreme hardship, she
started a cosmetics business and went on to become the first American self made
female millionaire.
“I had to make my own
living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the
opportunities to come. Get up and make them” – Madam C.J. Walker
24. Mark
Zuckerberg: The youngest billionaire in the world, dropped out of
Harvard to promote his social networking platform; Facebook. As at 2010, he was
23 years and worth $4billion.
25. Ted
Turner:
Billionaire drop out media mogul and founder of CNN; pledged a billion dollars
to the United Nation.
“All
my life, people have said that I wasn’t going to make it.” – Ted Turner
“Over a three year
period, I gave away half of what I had. To be honest, my hands shook as I
signed it away. I knew I was taking myself out of the race to be the richest
man in the world.” – Ted Turner
26. Cornelius
Vanderbilt: Dropped out of school at the age of 11, began operating his
own boat at the age of 16 and became one of the richest men in history.
“If I had learned
education, I would not have had time to learn anything else.” -Cornelius
Vanderbilt
27. Mayer
Amschel Rothschild: was born in a ghetto; started business
as a money lender and built the largest private fortune in history. He never
saw the four walls of school.
“Give me control over
a nation’s money supply and I don’t care who make the laws.” – Mayer Amschel
Rothschild
28. Ty
Warner:
Billionaire real estate investor, hotel owner, sole owner, CEO, and Chairman of
Ty, Inc. Ty Warner is a savvy, yet private business man. Ty, Inc; made $700
million in a single year with the Beanie Babies craze without spending money on
advertising. He has since expanded to include Ty Girlz dolls, directly
competing with Bratz dolls.
29. Howard
Hughes:
Dropped out of California Institute of Technology and
Rice University; founded Hughes Aircrafts and Co and went on to become a
billionaire.
“I intend to be, the
richest man in the world.” Howard Hughes
30. Giorgio
Armani:
Billionaire founder of the fashion brand; Giorgio Armani S.P.A. Dropped out of
medical school at the University of Bologna because he couldn’t stand the sight
of blood.
“Remain true to
yourself and your philosophy.” – Giorgio Armani
Successful
Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires
31. Asa
Candler:
Founder of the Billionaire company and world’s most popular brand; Coca Cola.
He dropped out of school at the age of 10.
32. Jenny
Craig:
With no college degree, this woman started Jenny Craig Inc from
scratch and grew it to become one of the largest and most recognized
companies in the weight management industry.
“If I make a
commitment to something, I will stick to it no matter what.” – Jenny Craig
33. Rachael
Ray:
Despite having no formal training in culinary arts, Rachel Ray made a name for
herself in the food industry. With numerous shows on the Food Network, a talk
show and cookbooks, high-energy Rachael never slowed down. She has also
appeared in magazines as well has having her own magazine debut in 2006.
34. Milton
Hershey:
With only a fourth grade education, Milton Hershey started his own chocolate
company. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate became the first nationally marketed
chocolate.
35. Frank
Lloyd Wright: surpassed all odds to become the most influential architect
of the twentieth century. Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,100 projects
with about half actually being built. He never saw the four walls of high
school.
36. David
Geffen:
billionaire founder of Geffen Records and co-founder of DreamWorks.
“I never went to
business school. I was just bumbling through a lot of my life. I was like the
guy behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.” – David Geffen
37. Billy
Joe (Red) McCombs: founder of Clear Channel media, real
estate investor.
38. Craig
McCaw:
billionaire founder of McCaw Cellular.
39. Dave
Thomas:
billionaire founder of Wendy’s.
“There’s no one to
stop you but yourself.” – Dave Thomas
40. ay
Van Andel: billionaire co-founder of Amway.
41. Micky
Jagtiani:
billionaire retailer, Landmark International
42. John
Paul DeJoria: billionaire co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and
Patron Spirits tequilla.
43. David
Green:
billionaire founder of Hobby Lobby.
44. Frederick
“Freddy” Laker: billionaire airline entrepreneur.
45. Kirk
Kerkorian: billionaire investor, owner of Mandalay Bay and Mirage
Resorts, and MGM movie studio.
46. Leandro
Rizzuto:
billionaire founder of Conair
47. Leslie
Wexner,
billionaire founder of Limited Brands.
48. Marc
Rich:
billionaire commodities investor and founder of Marc Rich & Co.
49. S.
Daniel Abraham: billionaire founder of Slim-Fast.
50. Theodore
Waitt:
billionaire founder of Gateway Computers.
51. Y.C.
Wang:
billionaire founder of Formosa Plastics.
52. Paul
Allen:
billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corporation; dropped out of Washington
State University.
53. Ralph
Lauren:
Billionaire fashion mogul. Studied business at Baruch College for two years and
dropped out.
54. Dean
Kamen:
Billionaire Kamen holds more than 80 US patents; famous for the Segwey PT, Auto
syringe and IBOT robotic wheelchair; dropped out of Worcester Polytechnic.
55. Dhirubhai
Ambani:
Famous founder of Reliance Group and father to two billionaires; Anil and
Mukesh Ambani. Started Reliance Industries from scratch and never saw the four
walls of school.
No comments:
Post a Comment