20 Great People Who Did Not Graduate From School

20 Great People Who Did Not Graduate

Education is often seen as a vital component of success, but not everyone who achieves greatness has a diploma or degree.

Many successful people did not graduate from college or high school, yet they went on to accomplish incredible things in their lives.

In this article, I have rounded up 20 great people who did not graduate, proving that formal education is not always necessary for success. You may have a different view, feel free to say it in the comment section.

1. Steve Jobs

After six months of college enrollment, Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, dropped out.

Today, he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history. He was visible in the revolutionizing of the technology industry with his innovative ideas and products.

2. Bill Gates

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is one good example of a highly successful individual who did not graduate. He attended Harvard University but dropped out of Harvard in 1975 to start his own software company, which later became one of the largest and most successful in the world. Later, Harvard eventually awarded him an honorary doctorate.

3. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is a media mogul, and philanthropist. Education history? She did not complete her college education. She started her career as a television host and became one of the most influential and successful personalities in the world.

4. Mark Zuckerberg

Mark Zuckerberg is a household name and therefore needs no introduction. What you don't know is that the founder of Facebook, dropped out of Harvard to pursue his dream of creating a social networking site. Today, is he a success?

The giant social media Facebook is enough answer to that question.

Meta has become one of the world's largest and most successful companies in the world. Who knows, this could not have been possible had Zuckerberg not dropped out of school when he did.

5. Richard Branson

If you have been following the news recently, you probably know Richard Branson.

You may already know that he is the founder of Virgin Group.

It is also a known fact that he suffered from Dyslexia.

You may already know too that he went to space recently.

But did you also know that he did not complete his high school education?

He started his own business at the age of 16 and went on to build one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the world. The Virgine Group.

6. Michael Dell

Michael Dell, the founder of Dell Technologies, dropped out of college to start his own computer company. Today, Dell is one of the world's largest and most successful technology companies.

If you find it difficult to know who he is, the best way to remember him is through the Dell computers, which you have probably used before.

7. Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres attended the University of New Orleans. But as you must have guessed, she dropped out of school for reasons bordering on dissatisfaction with the system. She did become a television host, comedian, and actress.

Yes, she did not graduate. She started her career as a stand-up comedian and eventually became one of the most successful talk show hosts in history.

8. Steve Wozniak

Does Didi Steve Wozniak have a formal education? The answer is yes and no, depending on whom you ask. He did attend university but had to leave school, here is the truth:

According to Steve Wozniak himself, he "never dropped out" of the University rather, he "took a year out of school to earn money for his fourth year of school," and didn't return for more than a decade.

In time, he became the co-founder of Apple, He created some of the most innovative and groundbreaking technology products in history, including the Apple I and Apple II computers.

9. Frank Lloyd Wright

Some sources will tell you that Frank Lloyd Wright graduated from college but the truth is that Frank Lloyd Wright was admitted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1886, but left after only?one year.

But that did not prevent him from becoming one of the most influential architects in history. Even though he did not complete his education, he went on to design some of the most iconic buildings in the world, an example of which is the Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

10. Coco Chanel

People often scorn fashion designers as a left-behind profession. But Coco Chanel proved them wrong She is the founder of Chanel, and did not complete her formal education but went on to become one of the most successful fashion designers in history, revolutionizing women's fashion with her innovative and timeless designs.

11. Walt Disney

Walt Disney, the founder of the Walt Disney Company, attended but one year of high school, and left school in 1918 to work as an ambulance driver after world war I.

Did he graduate from school? You guessed right. He did not complete his high school education. Was he successful? Yes. He created the best-animated films in history, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia.

12. Henry Ford

Henry Ford, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, did not complete his high school education. He went on to revolutionize the automotive industry with his innovative ideas and inventions.

13. Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, did not complete his formal education.

Although he did attend Boston Latin School, he did not graduate. However, he became one of the most influential and successful inventors, writers, and statesmen in history.

14. Thomas Edison

Most of the great inventions you use today to make your life easier were either invented by Thomas Edison or he contributed to its invention.

He is the inventor of the light bulb, and surprisingly, did not complete his formal education.

He went on to become one of the most successful inventors and entrepreneurs in history, holding over 1,000 patents.

15. Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln needs no introduction. He is the 16th President of the United States and is acclaimed for teaching himself how to read and write. Although he did not have a formal education, he become one of the most influential and successful politicians in history, leading his country through one of its most difficult periods.

Want to know more about Lincoln? He is the only U.S. president to hold a patent. (Patent No. 6469)

16. Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway is nothing but a literary legend, and one of the most influential writers of the 20th century.

You probably know that, but did you also know that he did not complete his college education?

He went on to write some of the most famous and successful novels and short stories in history, including "The Old Man and the Sea" and "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

17. Ray Kroc

You definitely know Mcdonald's, you have probably patronized them before. but you may not know that it was owned by Ray Kroc. Today, that organization is publicly traded by different shareholders.

Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's did not complete his high school education. He went on to build one of the largest and most successful fast-food chains in the world.

18. Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg, one of the most successful filmmakers in history, did not complete his college education. He is remembered for directing and producing some of the most successful and critically acclaimed films in history, including "Jaws," "Jurassic Park," and "Schindler's List." Once again, formal education is not the only key to success.

19. Andrew Carnegie

Andrew Carnegie, one of the wealthiest men in history, did not complete his formal education. In fact, he was not born in America. History has it that he read himself to success. The only education he had was attending night school while he worked.

He went on to build one of the largest and most successful steel companies in the world and became a major philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to charity.

20. David Geffen

Born to a Jewish immigrant, and with only high school to show, David Geffen, the founder of Geffen Records, did not complete his college education.

He became one of the most successful and influential music executives in history, signing some of the most prominent artists of all time, including Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, and Aerosmith. In 2021, his net worth was at $8 billion, according to Forbes.

Conclusion

These 20 prove that formal education is not always necessary for success. Get as much of it as you can, but don't think you cannot do without it if your circumstances do not allow or afford it.

While education can provide valuable skills and knowledge, it is not the only path to success.

Many successful individuals have achieved great things through hard work, determination, and innovation, regardless of their formal education.

I do not know what is holding you back from becoming what you want. But determination is always the key element to achieving success.

It is important to remember that success is not limited to those who have a degree or diploma.

If you have a passion and a drive to succeed, anything is possible. Whether you are an entrepreneur, artist, or politician, there is no limit to what you can achieve with hard work and perseverance.

So, if you are feeling discouraged by your lack of formal education, remember these great people who did not graduate and went on to achieve incredible things. With determination and hard work, anything is possible.

Learn something today, there are countless digital skills to learn. Programming language abounds that you can start with. Do something meaningful today and have your name written somewhere for the next generation to read and get inspired.

Add to the list, tell me what has been holding you back, someone from around here might have a story that will inspire you.

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My name is Echez, and I am a senior content writer for Success Zenith. I spend my time in SEO research, writing on different niches, affiliate marketing, and helping start-ups break even.

I focus on providing Internet marketing solutions to businesses and startups. And help entrepreneurs scale their digital marketing businesses.

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