Kirk Kerkorian
The dropout father of the “mega-resort” turned Las Vegas into where it is today. Buying 80 acres for a measly $960,000 with a vision like that, it’s no wonder he’s a billionaire. Kerkorian later discovered MGM Grand Casino and Hotel. Kerkorian was married to professional tennis player Lisa Bonder, 48 years his junior, by one week.
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François Pinault
French high school dropouts built an empire that owned Gucci, Converse, Samsonite and the Vail Ski Resort. Apparently François didn’t see the point in education, but he thought Gucci was a good buy. François is also considered the most influential person in contemporary art.
Jack Taylor
The founder of Enterprise Rent-a-car once attended George Washington University but dropped out to become a fighter pilot during World War II. Taylor is now the 14th richest person in America. Taylor gave the St. Louis Symphony a $40 million gift.
David Murdoch
A dyslexic, homeless, gas-pumping dropout, Murdoch went off to war and returned to sell real estate in Arizona. Murdoch took over the Dole Food Company and his pineapple empire bought him the 6th largest island in Hawaii.
Donald Newhouse
Newhouse’s media conglomerate emerged after he left Syracuse. He owns part of the Discovery Channel and the Learning Channel, as well as Conde Naste, which includes Vanity Fair, New Yorker and Vogue.
Ralph Lauren
Raised in the same area of the Bronx as Calvin Klein, Lauren was actually born Ralph Lifshitz. Lauren built his empire by hand selling ties to classmates in high school and for 2 years in college. He also owns a Ferrari 250 GTO, a McLaren F1 GTR LM and a Bugatti Veyron.
Paul Allen
Co-founder of Microsoft and CEO of Vulcan Inc, which owns over 40 different technology companies. After leaving Washington State, Allen convinced Bill Gates to quit Harvard. Paul’s investments include some pretty nifty toys, including Seattle Seahawks, Portland Trailblazers, and one of the world’s largest 416-foot yachts.
Larry Ellison
Dropped out of the University of Illinois and eventually founded Oracle. He is known for his extravagance: he owns a $200 million house, a $200 million yacht, and often donates Acura NSX supercars. The official wedding photographer for his fourth wedding was his friend, also a billionaire, Steve Jobs.
