6 super-successful entrepreneurs who dropped out of college

Moneycontrol News July 26, 2023

Bill Gates

Bill Gates attended Harvard from 1973 to 1975, before dropping out to start Microsoft with his friend Paul Allen

The billionaire is one of the world’s most famous college dropouts, but not an advocate of the practice. “Although I dropped out of college and got lucky pursuing a career in software, getting a degree is a much surer path to success,” Gates once said. 

Mark Zuckerberg

The founder of Facebook started the social media giant from his dorm room at Harvard. He dropped out of college in his second year.

Steve Jobs

The founder of Apple left Reed College in Oregon after just one semester. He started Apple from his garage and went on to become one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs of all time. 

Michael Dell

Michael Dell quit the University of Texas within a year and laid the foundation of what would go on to become Dell Computers – one of most easily-recognisable names in the world of tech today.

Travis Kalanick

Just months before he was to graduate, Travis Kalanick dropped out of the University of California. He experienced a couple of failures before tasting massive success with Uber. 

Jack Dorsey

The co-founder and former CEO of Twitter is also a college dropout – he left New York University in 1999.