Who Is Richest High School Dropout?

It’s true that education plays a key role in an individual’s development and paves the way for a financially rewarding career. However, what is also true is that education is not the sole criteria that determines an individual’s success. There are various examples where individuals have been hugely successful even without completing their education. For evidence, here are some high school dropouts who went on to become billionaires.

Jay-Z (Shawn Corey Carter) – One of the popular American rappers, Jay-Z is also a record producer and entrepreneur. He is considered as one of the most celebrated hip-hop artists of all time. Born in Brooklyn borough, Jay-Z had a tough life since his childhood due to family issues. He had attended Trenton Central High School, but dropped out without graduating. It is said that he used to sell crack cocaine and was shot multiple times during this period. Much of Jay-Z’s fortunes come from his music career and businesses. His net worth is estimated to be around $ 1.6 billion.

David H. Murdock – An American billionaire businessman, David H. Murdock had dropped out of high school when he was in 9th grade. Later, he had joined United Stated Army during World War II. After the war, Murdock took up a variety of entrepreneurial ventures including real estate, textile manufacturing and agriculture & food processing. David H. Murdock’s wealth is estimated to be around $ 2.4 billion.

Richard Branson – A British billionaire, Richard Branson is the founder of Virgin Group. A number of businesses are operated by Virgin Group such as airlines, telecom, space travel, media, healthcare and hospitality. Due to dyslexia, Branson had to struggle through school. He dropped out of high school when he was 16 years of age. However, he flourished in entrepreneurial ventures, which are now collectively managed by Virgin Group. Net worth of Richard Branson is estimated to be around $ 4 billion.

Zhou Qunfei – A Chinese entrepreneur, Zhou Qunfei is the founder of Lens Technology. Due to poor family background, she was not able to stay in school for long. She was a bright student, but dropped out of school at age 16 to support her family financially. With her savings, she started her own business, which eventually evolved into Lens technology as we know it today. When IPO of Lens Technology was listed at stock exchange, she became China’s richest woman with net worth of $ 10 billion. She is the world’s richest ‘self-made’ woman.

Amancio Ortega – A Spanish billionaire, Amancio Ortega owns Inditex fashion group, which is the parent organization of popular Zara and Bershka retail chains. Amancio Ortega attended school, but dropped out at age 14. Reason for that was primarily his father’s job of a railway worker that required relocations. Amancio Ortega started out with a single Zara store, which went on to become a global enterprise. Amancio Ortega is currently the third richest individual in Europe. His net worth is estimated to be around $ 53.6 billion.