Top 10 Billionaires Who Dropped Out of School or College

By Rajni Pandey | August 20, 2024

Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard and co-founded Microsoft, becoming one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $114 billion.

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Bill Gates

Steve Jobs left Reed College after one semester and later revolutionized tech with Apple. At his death in 2011, his net worth was $10.2 billion.

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Steve Jobs

Richard Branson left school at 16 and founded Virgin Group, which now spans 400 companies, earning him a net worth of $3 billion.

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Richard Branson

Oprah Winfrey dropped out of Tennessee State University to pursue media, eventually building a billion-dollar empire with a net worth of $2.5 billion.

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Oprah Winfrey

David Karp left high school at 15, founded Tumblr, and sold it to Yahoo for $1.1 billion, giving him a current net worth of $200 million.

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David Karp

Ralph Lauren left school to start his clothing line, Ralph Lauren, which grew into a global brand with a net worth of $7.3 billion.

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Ralph Lauren

John D. Rockefeller dropped out at 16 and founded Standard Oil, becoming the richest person ever with a net worth of $418 billion.

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John D. Rockefeller

François Pinault left school at 16, built Kering (Gucci, Saint Laurent), and has a net worth of $44 billion.

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François Pinault

Jay-Z dropped out of high school to pursue music and is now a billionaire entrepreneur with a net worth of $2.5 billion.

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Jay-Z 

Giorgio Armani left medical school for fashion, creating a global luxury brand with a net worth of $9 billion.

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Giorgio Armani