10 famous entrepreneurs who have not graduated from a university
His Work / / December 26, 2019
The scheme of "school - university - work" is universal for most of us. What happens if the second link of the chain lowered? Some, of course, will lose the opportunity to build a successful career. And some - have their way, no matter what. In this article we describe the history of 10 successful and wealthy people for whom the lack of higher education does not become a problem.
1. Evan Williams
Co-founder and former CEO Twitter
Williams Evan half years he studied at the University of Nebraska, and then dropped it and began to engage in freelance IT. He has worked with Hewlett-Packard and Intel, and then together with his partner Meg Hourigan launched a blog platform Blogger, which in 2003 bought the Google Corporation. Evan Williams' next project was the joint work with Noah Glass and his associates at the company Odeo podcast. It was there that Williams met Biza Stone and Jack Dorsey - the future co-founders of Twitter. In 2006, these four men, one of whom graduated from university, as a result of brainstorming created a well-known platform for microblogging.
2. Jan Koum
Co-founder and CEO of WhatsApp messenger
Kum Yang grew up in the vicinity of Kiev. When he was 16 years old, he and his mother immigrated to California. There Kum enrolled at San Jose State University, where he studied mathematics and computer science. But soon the study was abandoned, and the young man got a network engineer in Yahoo. In this company he worked for nine years.
The idea of creating a service that allows you to exchange messages originated in Qom in 2009. Messenger is quickly gaining in popularity, and now every month it is used about 450 million people. In February this year, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook. According to reports, the deal was worth $ 9 billion.
3. Sir Richard Branson
The founder of the Virgin Group
Richard Branson has not even graduated from high school, let alone university, but this did not prevent him to succeed. He was just a born entrepreneur. His first business - Student Magazine - Branson founded when he was only 16 years old. In 19 years, he created a company called Virgin, which was engaged in sending music records by mail. Sales were good, and it has allowed Branson to take the next step - to start recording studio Virgin Records. In 1980, a number of successful projects Branson added and travel companies, including Voyager Group and the airline Virgin Atlantic. In 1999, for services to entrepreneurship Richard Branson received the title of Sir. Today, his company Virgin Group has more than 200 companies in 30 countries.
4. Russell Simmons
Co-founder of record label Def Jam
Russell Simmons studied sociology at the City College of New York, but became interested in Producing and dropped classes. His first experience's production activity was involved in organizing hip hop parties in Harlem and Queens. In 1979, he became manager of his friend, rapper Kurtis Blow. But five years later, fate brought him to the famous producer Rick Rubin. Together they founded record label Def Jam and signed with artists such as LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. In 1999, Simmons sold to Universal Music Group its share of Def Jam for $ 100 million.
5. Michael Dell
The founder of Dell Computers
Michael Dell could become a doctor, if I had not quit the University of Texas. However, as a second-year student, he did it, and founded Dell Computers group. It was he who in the early 1980s formed an interest in computers, when this area was still quite undeveloped. Dell began to build and sell computers and fully concentrated on this business. During the first year of its existence, Dell Computers, the company earned on sales of $ 6 million. And in 1992, Dell was named the youngest CEO, who are in the Fortune-500 rating. Today, Dell Computers company is one of the largest PC manufacturers.
6. Stacey Ferreira
Co-founder MySocialCloud.com
Stacey Ferreira still studying in high school, when, together with his brother Scott Ferreira and other Shiv Prakash launched its first startup - online storage network MySocialCloud.com passwords. And it happened so. In 2012, Ferreira saw a message on Twitter by Richard Branson. He invited all his followers to a charity banquet. Fee is $ 2000 per person. Stacy and her brother, Scott took the money from his parents and attended the event, where they met with Branson. Two months later, the project start-up entrepreneurs received from him and his business partner Jerry Murdoch's $ 1 million investment. Later Ferreira admitted to New York University, but soon dropped out and moved to Los Angeles to focus on the work of MySocialCloud.com.
7. Ralph Lauren
CEO and Chairman of the Ralph Lauren Corp
Ralph Lauren entered the name of Baruch College in New York, but dropped out after two years and went into the army. On his return he settled a shop assistant in a Brooks Brothers company. However, working there did not last long. Already in 1967, Lauren opened his own company, making neckties under the Polo brand. Its products are sold in stores Bloomingdales. Later, Lauren released a line of men's clothing, and two years after that - a line of women's clothing. Today, his company also sells household goods and perfumes.
8. Sean Parker
Co-founder of Napster, CEO Brigade Media
Sean Parker was known as one of the founders of the network for the exchange of music files, Napster and president of Facebook. His ability to information technologies appeared at school. He won the Olympiad in Informatics Virginia and participated in the work on the search robot, so in the young talent drew the attention of the CIA. Just over a year working on various projects Parker received $ 80,000. This fact has become an excellent argument to convince parents to postpone entering the college.
Later, Parker and his friend Shawn Fanning founded a network for the exchange of music files Napster, which he jokingly refers to as "the University of Napster». After all, this project has helped him gain the knowledge and skills that he used to further investing in other high-tech companies, including Facebook, Spotify, Airtime and WillCall. Now the status of Parker estimated at more than $ 2.1 billion.
9. John McKay
Co-founder and CEO of the supermarket chain Whole Foods Market
John McKay studied philosophy and religion at the University of Texas at Austin, but left his studies and 1978 together with his then-girlfriend Renee Lawson Hardy opened a health food store SaferWay. Two years later he teamed up with SaferWay Clarksville Natural Grocery Craig Weller and Mark Skaylza, and a new company called Whole Foods Market. Over time, from a local business it has become a highly profitable distribution network, consisting of more than 340 shops. Currently, John McKay divides as head of Walter Rob.
10. Dov Charney
Co-founder and CEO of the company for the production of American Apparel clothing
Dov Charney started selling clothing, while still a pupil of the school in Montreal, he was selling t-shirts Canadians imported from the United States. Some time later, Charney enrolled in Fatsa University, but in 1990 left him, took his father $ 10,000, he moved to South Carolina, and founded the production company American Apparel clothing. Production company first implemented in bulk, and in 2003, Charney opened its first retail outlets New York, Los Angeles and Montreal. In 2006, he sold the American Apparel for $ 360 million, but remained on as CEO.
Reading the stories of these people can not help thinking: "Damn it, how they did it?" After all, the university - is not only notorious lectures and cramming. This is an opportunity to learn how to find and assimilate information (not at that school). This expansion of horizons. This self-discipline, after all. It turns out that these guys are so talented that they did not need all this.
And what do you think to what extent the successful career of a man depends on his education?