Educational Failures Make Great Businessmen?

As students, we are lectured about the importance of education all the time. At graduation ceremonies, every speaker delivers speeches about the importance of perseverance. The dean, lecturers and guest speakers all highlight the same issue: why you should be committed to your studies. And why shouldn’t they? The fact that you are enrolled in an educational institution already shows you realize the need for a proper education. But why about people who fail at education? What do they become? They are surely educational failures. But are they total failures? The answer is no. Some of them even become great businessmen. Here are a few examples:

1. William Shakespeare was a School Dropout 

An all-time bestseller, Willian Shakespeare only attended school till the age of thirteen. This is definitely not much of a formal education. Still, he is one of the most known names in history. Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet are only two of his best-loved books. Isn’t this surprising for a man who has invented over 1700 words? Not to forget he is a middle school dropout.

2. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard

Bill Gates is a Harvard School dropout. This educational failure did not prevent him from being a successful businessman. He founded the world’s largest software company, Microsoft Corporation. Bill Gates has also been holding the position of the world’s richest man for thirteen years in a row, according to Forbes Magazine.

3. Lawrence J. Ellison 

Lawrence J. Ellison is the builder of the world’s second largest software company, Oracle. This business venture turned him into a billionaire. Who would think that this billionaire dropped out of college, not once, but twice? He was even told that he would never achieve anything by his adoptive father.

4. Steve Jobs left Reed College

Steven Jobs is a name engraved in history. This co-founder of Apple Inc. and Pixar turned into a billionaire due to his risk-taking instincts. One such risk he took was when he dropped out of Reed College to found Apple. Initially blamed for being an educational failure, Steve Jobs has shut the mouth of many through his splendid success.

5. Walt Disney was rejected

A high school dropout, Walt Disney pursued his visions despite many obstacles. Known as the world’s most influential animator, Walt Disney was rejected for lack of creativity and imagination in earlier stages of his pursuit. He went ahead and founded Walt Disney. This company now has yearly revenue of almost $30million.

6. Mark Zuckerberg preferred work over Harvard

Mark Zuckerberg definitely got lucky with Facebook. This social networking platform made him worth $4 billion at the age of only 23 years. The interesting part if that Mark Zuckerberg actually dropped out of Harvard to work on Facebook. He deemed it more important to promote the platform than attend Harvard.

Some ideas are worth taking the risk for. Others are not. Unless you are absolutely sure of yourself, it is a bad idea to drop out of school. All these educational failures have one thing in common. They had a great idea and they had the capabilities to pursue it.

_{Featured Image: Dosomething.org and biography.com}