Scheme “School – University – Work” is universal for most of us. What happens if the second item in this list, skip? Some, of course, will lose the opportunity to build a successful career. And some – have their way, no matter what. In this article, I will tell the story 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
Evan Williams and a half years he studied at the University of Nebraska, and then dropped it and began doing freelance in 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 company Google. Evan’s next project was the joint work with Noah Glass and his associates on a podcast Odeo. It was there that Williams met Biza Stone and Jack Dorsey – the future co-founders of Twitter. In 2006, these four men created a well-known micro-blogging platform.
2. Yang Kum
Co-founder and CEO of messenger WhatsApp
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 the University of San Jose, where he began to study mathematics and computer science. But soon the Study was abandoned, and the young man got a network engineer at Yahoo. In this company he worked for nine years.
The idea of creating a service that allows you to exchange messages originated from Qom in 2009. Messenger is rapidly gaining popularity, and now every month it is used by about 450 million people. In February, Facebook acquired WhatsApp. The deal was worth $9 billion.
3. Sir Richard Branson
Virgin Group founder
Richard Branson has not even graduated high school, but this did not prevent him to succeed. He was just a born entrepreneur. His first business – magazine Student – Branson founded when he was only 16 years old. At age 19, he created a company called Virgin, which was engaged in sending music records by mail. Sales were good, and it has allowed Branson to the next step – to start a recording studio Virgin Records. In 1980, a number of successful projects Branson added and travel companies, including the Voyager Group and the airline Virgin Atlantic. In 1999, for achievements in business Richard Branson he 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 sessions. His first experience’s production activity was participation in the organization of a hip-hop party 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 the record label Def Jam and signed contracts with artists such as LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy. In 1999, Simmons sold 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 thrown the University of Texas. However, as a second-year student, he did it, and founded Dell Computers. It was he who in the early 1980s formed an interest in computers, when this area was still very undeveloped. Dell began creating and selling computers and concentrate on the business. During the first year of its existence, the company has earned Dell Computers on sales of $ 6 million. And in 1992, Dell was named the youngest CEO, was in the rating Fortune-500. Today, Dell Computers is one of the largest PC manufacturers.
6. Stacey Ferreira
Co-founder MySocialCloud.com
More Stacey Ferreira was in high school, when along with his brother Scott Ferreira and other Shiv Prakash launched its first startup – online storage network passwords MySocialCloud.com. In 2012, Ferreira saw on Twitter the message from Richard Branson. He invited all his followers to a charity banquet. Fee is $ 2000 per person. Stacy and her brother Scott borrowed money from their parents and attended the event, where he 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 two years later dropped out and went into the army. On his return he took a shop assistant in a company Brooks Brothers. But the work there did not last long. Already in 1967, Lauren opened his own company, making neckties under the brand Polo. Its products are sold in stores Bloomingdales. Later, Lauren released a line of menswear, 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, the founder of Napster and president of Facebook. His abilities in information technologies appeared at school. He won Olympiad in Informatics Virginia and participated in the work of the search robot, thanks to which young talent drew the attention of the CIA. During the year work 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 Napster». After all, this project has helped him gain the knowledge and skills that he used in the future to invest 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 in 1978, along 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, it became a local business into a high sales network consisting of more than 340 stores.
10. Dov Charney
Co-founder and CEO of the clothing company American Apparel
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 Fatsa enrolled at the University, but in 1990, threw him, took his father’s $ 10,000, he moved to South Carolina and founded the clothing company American Apparel. The company’s products first implemented in bulk, and in 2003, Charney opened its first retail outlets in New York, Los Angeles and Montreal. In 2006, he sold American Apparel for $ 360 million, but remained on as CEO.
