10 Billionaires Who Have One Common Drawback

We all used to believe that education was the main key to success and the first step on the way to wealth. However, sometimes practical skills and the ability to “catch a wave” in time are more important than a diploma.

FunnyModo will tell you about people who weren’t stopped by a lack of education and earned billions of dollars.

Richard Branson

Education: unfinished high school

The future founder of Virgin Records, according to his own words, had a hard time studying at school, so he dropped out at the age of 16 and went to London.

His first business project was a magazine, and at the age of 17 Branson already organized his first charitable organization. Today Richard Branson owns not only a record company but also an entire airline.

Ingvar Kamprad

Education: high school

The company which is nowadays known throughout the world as IKEA was created by Ingvar Kamprad when he was 17 years old.

The future billionaire had a hard time studying because of dyslexia, so he never entered a higher education institution.

Henry Ford

Education: high school

Young Henry Ford wasn’t really passionate about studying at his religious school. In fact, his only passion was a variety of mechanisms. At the age of 16, Henry ran away from home and went to Detroit where he worked as an assistant mechanic.

Michael S. Dell

Education: 1 year at university

Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, earned his first money when he was 12 by selling a subscription to a local newspaper.

During his studies, Dell founded his first computer company, PC’s Limited. He left university at the age of 19.

Li Ka-shing

Education: unfinished high school

Li Ka-shing, one of the richest people in the world, had to leave school at the age of 12 and get a job at a factory producing plastic flowers.

When he was 22 years old, he founded Cheung Kong company which is now engaged not only in trade but also in real estate, hotels, IT, and many other things.

Bill Gates

Education: 2 years at university

Bill Gates has a Harvard diploma, though the billionaire received it only in 2007 by the decision of the University administration who decided to pay tribute to all his merits. In fact, Gates studied at Harvard for only 2 years and was then expelled.

Larry Ellison

Education: 2 years at university

Larry Ellison, one of the founders of Oracle Corporation, which takes second place in the world in sodapdf software production (after Microsoft), tried to get a higher education twice. Both times he was unsuccessful: he studied for 2 years at the University of Illinois and only 1 term at the University of Chicago.

John D. Rockefeller

Education: 3-month accounting course

John Rockefeller, one of the richest people in history, earned his first dollars at the age of 7. When he was 13 years old, he started to lend money to his acquaintances with interest. After graduating from school, John entered a college. However, he soon left it.

Amancio Ortega

Education: unfinished high school

Amancio Ortega, the creator and owner of Zara, left school when he was 13 and started working as a delivery boy in a clothing shop.

Ortega opened his first store in 1975. Today Inditex Group, which owns Zara, is working all over the world, and its founder and owner has headed the list of the world’s richest people several times.

Mark Zuckerberg

Education: 2 years at university

Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire on this list. Although he was a student at Harvard, he didn’t receive a diploma, being carried away by the creation of a social network. By the way, he studied psychology.

Preview photo credit britannica, rexfeatures