Kirk Kerkorian
The father of the “megaresort” this high school dropout shaped Las Vegas to the destination it is today. Buying 80 acres on the strip for a measly $960,000, with vision like this no wonder he is a billionaire. Kerkorian later opened the MGM Grand Casino and Hotel. Kerkorian was married to professional tennis player Lisa Bonder, 48 years younger than he, for one week.
François Pinault
French high school dropout created an empire that owned Gucci, Converse, Samsonite and Vail Ski Resort. Apparently Francois didn’t see the value in education, but thought Gucci was a good buy. Francois is also said to be the most powerful man in modern art.
Jack Taylor
The founder of Enterprise Rent-a-car was once enrolled in George Washington University but dropped out to be a fighter pilot in WWII. Taylor is now the 14th richest man in America. Taylor has given a $40 million gift to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
David Murdock
Dropping out of school, dyslexic, homeless, pumping gas, Murdock went to war and came back to start flipping Arizona real estate. Murdock took over Dole Food Company and his pineapple empire bought him the 6th largest island in Hawaii.
Donald Newhouse
Newhouse’s media conglomerate started after he dropped out of Syracuse. He owns part of the Discovery Channel and Learning Channel as well as Conde Naste, which includes Vanity Fair, the New Yorker and Vogue.
Ralph Lauren
Growing up in the same Bronx neighborhood as Calvin Klein, Lauren was actually born Ralph Lifschitz. Lauren created his empire by hand, selling neckties to fellow students in high school and for the 2 years he attended college. He also owns a Ferrari 250 GTO, a McLaren F1 GTR LM, and a Bugatti Veyron.
Paul Allen
Co-founder of Microsoft and is Chariman of Vulcan Inc which owns over 40 different technology companies. Dropping out of Washington State, Allen convinced Bill Gates to drop out of Harvard. Paul’s investment’s include some pretty neat toys including the Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers and one of the world’s largest yachts at 416 feet.
Larry Ellison
Dropped out of the University of Illinois and eventually went on to start Oracle. He is known for his extravagance with a $200 million home, $200 million yacht and often gives Acura NSX supercars as gifts. For his fourth wedding his friend, also a billionaire dropout Steve Jobs was the official wedding photographer.
Rockstar Lifestyle Design and Under30CEO have teamed up to bring you a 1 time only series on personal branding. We are combining our knowledge in social media, blogging and internet marketing to help you get your brand off on the right foot and build a successful business. Learn how to take advantage of this opportunity on the event page.
Related Article: