Billionaires Who Made Fortunes Without a Degree

Most of us grow up believing that a college or university education is the key to a successful career and a comfortable life. But with around a quarter of billionaires having dropped out of school, that belief seems to be something of a myth. Read on to meet the people who’ve made huge fortunes without a degree and, in some instances, changed the world.

Evan Williams: $1.9 Billion

Evan Williams co-founded Blogger, Twitter (now X), and Medium. Growing up on his family’s farm, Williams dropped out of the University of Nebraska to learn coding. This led to the creation of Blogger, which he sold to Google. Later, he co-founded Twitter and is now worth $1.9 billion.

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Ted Turner: $2.5 Billion

Ted Turner dropped out of Brown University to work for his father’s company, Turner Advertising. Renaming it Turner Broadcasting, he turned it into a billion-dollar empire. With a net worth of $2.5 billion, Turner is also a philanthropist focused on restoring America’s natural environments.

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Richard Branson: $2.6 Billion

Richard Branson, worth an estimated $2.6 billion, founded the Virgin brand, including Virgin Atlantic Airways. He dropped out of school at 16 to start Student magazine. By 24, he owned a Caribbean island and was knighted in 1999.

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Oprah Winfrey: $3 Billion

Oprah Winfrey, with a net worth of $3 billion, dropped out of Tennessee State University at 19 after landing her first radio job. Despite her success, she returned to complete her degree in 1987. Oprah’s career includes a TV show, an Oscar nomination, and her own company.

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Travis Kalanick: $3.6 Billion

Travis Kalanick dropped out of college to focus on his tech start-ups, Scour and RedSwoosh. Best known for co-founding Uber in 2009, Kalanick stepped down as CEO in 2017 and left the board in 2019, selling his stake for billions. He now leads CloudKitchens, worth $3.6 billion.

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Barry Diller: $4.1 Billion

Barry Diller, who dropped out of college, founded the internet and media giant IAC in 1995. Prior to that, he worked at ABC, Paramount, and Fox, launching hit shows like “Cheers” and “The Simpsons.” Diller, worth $4.1 billion, is also chairman of Expedia and married to designer Diane Von Furstenberg.

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Jack Dorsey: $4.2 Billion

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and CEO of Square, dropped out of Missouri University of Science and Technology to develop Twitter. He left Twitter in 2021 and is currently worth around $4.2 billion.

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Gabe Newell: $4.3 Billion

Gabe Newell, a Harvard dropout, co-founded Valve Corporation in 1998. Now worth $4.3 billion, he is the CEO of Valve, which plays a significant role in PC game sales through its Steam digital game store.

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Steven Spielberg: $4.8 Billion

Steven Spielberg, denied entry to college due to poor grades, eventually gained entry but dropped out to focus on filmmaking. He co-founded DreamWorks Studios in 1994 and is now worth $4.8 billion.

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Carl Icahn: $5.5 Billion

Carl Icahn dropped out of medical school to join the army, later founding his firm in 1968. He is now worth $5.5 billion and is infamous for his takeovers of major companies like Texaco and American Airlines.

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Ralph Lauren: $9.2 Billion

Ralph Lauren, born to Russian Jewish immigrants in the Bronx, dropped out of college and worked in the garment industry before establishing his fashion brand. He is now worth $9.2 billion and remains the executive chairman of his company.

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Giorgio Armani: $12 Billion

Giorgio Armani, a medical school dropout, became a billionaire after founding his fashion brand. He served in the military before working as a buyer and window dresser in Milan. Armani is now worth $12 billion.

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Azim Premji: $12.1 Billion

Azim Premji dropped out of Stanford to run his family’s cooking oil business after his father’s death. He expanded into software, founding Wipro, an IT outsourcing and services company, and is now worth $12.1 billion.

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Jan Koum: $16.1 Billion

Jan Koum, co-founder of WhatsApp, sold the messaging service to Facebook in 2014 for $22 billion. A San Jose State University dropout, Koum worked at Yahoo before founding WhatsApp and is now worth $16.1 billion.

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These billionaires have shown that a college degree isn’t the only path to success. Through innovation, risk-taking, and sheer determination, they’ve built empires and left a lasting impact on the world.