Blog Archives

55 School Drop Out Billionaires and Successful Entrepreneurs

Do you feel dejected or left behind by your peers because you don’t have a college degree? Do you see your supposed illiteracy as a limitation to achieving your dreams? Or are you in the group that thinks education is the ultimate yardstick for success? If any of these questions best describes you, then please read on.

How does it sound to your ears that most of the world’s richest men and women were school drop outs? Well don’t be surprised; it’s the truth.

“I have nothing against education. But at times, education gives people false confidence. It makes people relax, trusting in the power of their certificates rather than in working hard.” – Rasaq Okoya

Today, I will be sharing with you a brief compilation of the entrepreneurial success stories of self made men and women; who took the bull by the horn by building a business, without being held back by the lack of a college degree. These men and women found their entrepreneurial spirit, surmounted business challenges, completed the entrepreneurial process and became successful entrepreneurs.

 “I have been within the four walls of school and I have been on the street. I can confidently tell you that the street is tougher, challenging, daring, exciting and more rewarding. In school; you play alone. But on the street, you play with the big boys.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

Warren Buffett, Mo Ibrahim, Mike Adenuga, Oprah Winfrey, George Soros, John D. Rockefeller, Sam Walton, Jerry Yang and David Filo, Anita Roddick, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Jeff Bezos, Pierre Omidyar, Martha Stewart, Henry Ross Perot and Aliko Dangote; the richest black man in the world did not make the list because they possessed college degrees. Without wasting much of your time, below is a comprehensive list of some of the world’s richest school drop out billionaires.

“Behind every adversity is an opportunity. If you lament over the adversity, you will miss the opportunity.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

  The World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

1.            Bill Gates: He is the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, the world largest software company. Dropped out of Harvard to focus on building Microsoft. According to Forbes magazine, Bill Gates has held the position of the world richest man for thirteen consecutive years and he not showing a sign of letting go that position.

“To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” – Bill Gates

“We were young, but we had good advice good ideas and lots of enthusiasm.” – Bill Gates

2.            Thomas Edison: Thomas Edison was labeled dumb and scatterbrain by his school teachers but he went on to become one of the world’s greatest inventors and founded General Electric; one of the most powerful companies in the world.

 “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” – Thomas Edison

3.            Orji Uzor Kalu: He is one of the richest men on the soil of Africa. This young billionaire was rusticated from college for his participation in a student’s protest. Instead of lamenting over his predicament; he started trading on palm oil and from that humble beginning, he grew his business into a conglomerate “Slok Group.” Though he was later pardoned by the school authorities, he rejected the amnesty offer thereby refusing to return to school.

“A good businessman must have nose for business the same way a journalist has nose for news. Once your eyes, ears, nose, heart and brain are trained on business, you sniff business opportunities everywhere.” – Orji Uzor Kalu

4.            Li Ka Shing: Billionaire owner of Hutchinson Whampoa; one of the largest conglomerates in Hong Kong, with operations that span over fifty countries and more than 220,000 staff worldwide. Dropped out of school at the age of 15 and started out by selling watch bands.

“The first year, I didn’t have much capital so I did everything myself. I had to keep my overhead low by learning everything about running a business, from accounting to fixing the gears of my equipment. I really started from scratch.” – Li Ka Shing

5.            Richard Branson: Best known for his adventurous spirit and outrageous business tactics. He dropped out of school at the age of 16 to start his first successful business venture; Student Magazine, bought his own 79-acre Caribbean island when he was just 24 and he was knighted in 1999. He is the billionaire founder of the Virgin brand and its 360 companies. His companies include the famous Virgin Atlantic Airways.

 “I wanted to be an editor or journalist. I wasn’t really interested in becoming an entrepreneur, but I soon found I had to become an entrepreneur in order to keep my magazine going.” – Richard Branson

 Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

6.            Lawrence J. Ellison: Larry Ellison dropped out of college twice and was told by his adoptive father that he would never amount to anything but he went on to become a billionaire by building Oracle, the world’s second largest software company.

 “I have had all the disadvantages required for success.” – Larry Ellison

7.            Michael Dell: He dropped out of college at the age of 19 to start PC’s Limited; later renamed Dell Computers Inc. Dell became the most profitable PC manufacturer in the world making Michael Dell a billionaire.

    “I had to give it a full go and see what happened.” – Michael Dell

8.            Steve Jobs: Billionaire co-founder of Apple Inc and Pixar; dropped out of Reed College to start Apple.

9.            Henry Ford: This automobile billionaire was born in abject poverty. He never saw the four walls of school but he went on to build Ford Motor Company and become one of the richest men that ever lived.

 “Thinking is the hardest work to do, that’s why so few people are engaged in it.” – Henry Ford

10.          Walt Disney: Walt, regarded as the most influential animator because of his creativity with cartoons. He dropped out of high school at 16 and founded Walt Disney; a company which now has an annual revenue of about $30billion.

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

  Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

11.          Ray Kroc: Billionaire Ray Kroc never saw the four walls of school and spent most of his life working as a salesman. He bought McDonald’s in 1961 for $2.7m and grew it into a multi billion dollar company.

“Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Ray Kroc

12.          Debbi Fields: A 20 year old housewife with no education and business experience started Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery and became the most successful cookie company owner. She later renamed, franchised, and then sold Mrs. Field’s Cookies.

“You don’t have to be superhuman to do what you believe in.” – Debbi Fields

13.          Cosmos Maduka: Nigerian Elementary school drop out and billionaire founder of the Coscharis Group.

14.          Ingvar Kamprad: Billionaire founder of IKEA. He dropped out of high school at the age of 17 to start IKEA; now the top home furniture retailer in the world, with over 90,000 employees working in its 200-plus stores, and annual revenues in excess of $10 billion.

 “I’m not afraid of turning 80 and I have lots of things to do. I don’t have time for dying.” – Ingvar Kamprad

15.          Carl Lindner: Billionaire investor and founder of United Dairy Farmers. He dropped out of high school at the age of 14 to deliver milk for his family diary.

                Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

16.          Simon Cowell: Famous for his involvement in American Idols, he dropped out of school at age 16 and started his own record label “Fanfare” at the age of 23.

“Good is not enough; you’ve got to be great.” – Simon Cowell

17.          Mary Kay Ash: Founder of Mary Kay Inc and best known as the most outstanding business woman in the 20th century. Mary never saw the four walls of school.

“When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.” – Mary Kay Ash

18.          Coco Chanel: Fashion magnate and founder of the Coco Chanel brand, she never saw the four walls of school.

19.          Wayne Huizenga: Wayne is the only person in history to build three Fortune 1000 companies practically from scratch: Waste Management Inc, Blockbuster Entertainment and AutoNation. He is the only person to have developed six NYSE-listed companies.

He also owns the Miami Dolphins and is previous owner of the Florida Marlins baseball team and the Panthers hockey team, making him the only person ever to own three pro teams in a single market, two of which won national championships. He dropped out of college to join a friend in a garbage collection business.

20.          Barry Diller: This billionaire media magnate dropped out of college to start Fox Broadcasting Company. He is chairman of Expedia, and was once the CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp which includes Home Shopping Network and Ticketmaster.

“There’s a world in which reasons are made up because reality is too painful.” – Barry Diller

21.          Andrew Carnegie: Founder of Carnegie Steel Company and one of the richest men that ever lived. Born in abject poverty, Andrew never saw the four walls of school.

“I shall argue that strong men conversely know when to compromise and that all principles can be compromised to serve a greater purpose.” – Andrew Carnegie

 Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

22.          Sir Philip Green: Billionaire retail mogul and owner of the Arcadia brand, he dropped out of school at the age of 16. After four business failures, Philip Green made his first million at the age of 33.

“If you’ve got a natural talent, I think it’s fantastic. If I wasn’t in retail, being a singer or a tennis player would be a better idea.” – Sir Philip Green

23.          Madame C. J. Walker: She was born into the family of ex-slaves and farmers. Despite being widowed at the age of 20 and faced with extreme hardship, she started a cosmetics business and went on to become the first American self made female millionaire.

“I had to make my own living and my own opportunity! But I made it! Don’t sit down and wait for the opportunities to come. Get up and make them” – Madam C.J. Walker

24.          Mark Zuckerberg: The youngest billionaire in the world, dropped out of Harvard to promote his social networking platform; Facebook. As at 2010, he was 23 years and worth $4billion.

25.          Ted Turner: Billionaire drop out media mogul and founder of CNN; pledged a billion dollars to the United Nation.

“All my life, people have said that I wasn’t going to make it.” – Ted Turner

“Over a three year period, I gave away half of what I had. To be honest, my hands shook as I signed it away. I knew I was taking myself out of the race to be the richest man in the world.” – Ted Turner

26.          Cornelius Vanderbilt: Dropped out of school at the age of 11, began operating his own boat at the age of 16 and became one of the richest men in history.

 “If I had learned education, I would not have had time to learn anything else.” -  Cornelius Vanderbilt

27.          Mayer Amschel Rothschild: was born in a ghetto; started business as a money lender and built the largest private fortune in history. He never saw the four walls of school.

“Give me control over a nation’s money supply and I don’t care who make the laws.” – Mayer Amschel Rothschild

28.          Ty Warner: Billionaire real estate investor, hotel owner, sole owner, CEO, and Chairman of Ty, Inc. Ty Warner is a savvy, yet private business man. Ty, Inc; made $700 million in a single year with the Beanie Babies craze without spending money on advertising. He has since expanded to include Ty Girlz dolls, directly competing with Bratz dolls.

29.          Howard Hughes: Dropped out of California Institute of Technology and Rice University; founded Hughes Aircrafts and Co and went on to become a billionaire.

“I intend to be, the richest man in the world.” Howard Hughes

30.          Giorgio Armani: Billionaire founder of the fashion brand; Giorgio Armani S.P.A. Dropped out of medical school at the University of Bologna because he couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

“Remain true to yourself and your philosophy.” – Giorgio Armani

   Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop Out Billionaires

31.          Asa Candler: Founder of the Billionaire company and world’s most popular brand; Coca Cola. He dropped out of school at the age of 10.

32.          Jenny Craig: With no college degree, this woman started Jenny Craig Inc from scratch and grew it to become one of the largest and most recognized companies in the weight management industry.

“If I make a commitment to something, I will stick to it no matter what.” – Jenny Craig

33.          Rachael Ray: Despite having no formal training in culinary arts, Rachel Ray made a name for herself in the food industry. With numerous shows on the Food Network, a talk show and cookbooks, high-energy Rachael never slowed down. She has also appeared in magazines as well has having her own magazine debut in 2006.

34.          Milton Hershey: With only a fourth grade education, Milton Hershey started his own chocolate company. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate became the first nationally marketed chocolate.

35.          Frank Lloyd Wright: surpassed all odds to become the most influential architect of the twentieth century. Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 1,100 projects with about half actually being built. He never saw the four walls of high school.

36.          David Geffen: billionaire founder of Geffen Records and co-founder of DreamWorks.

“I never went to business school. I was just bumbling through a lot of my life. I was like the guy behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.” – David Geffen

37.          Billy Joe (Red) McCombs: founder of Clear Channel media, real estate investor.

38.          Craig McCaw: billionaire founder of McCaw Cellular.

39.          Dave Thomas: billionaire founder of Wendy’s.

“There’s no one to stop you but yourself.” – Dave Thomas

40.          ay Van Andel: billionaire co-founder of Amway.

41.          Micky Jagtiani: billionaire retailer, Landmark International

42.          John Paul DeJoria: billionaire co-founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patron Spirits tequilla.

43.          David Green: billionaire founder of Hobby Lobby.

44.          Frederick “Freddy” Laker: billionaire airline entrepreneur.

45.          Kirk Kerkorian: billionaire investor, owner of Mandalay Bay and Mirage Resorts, and MGM movie studio.

46.          Leandro Rizzuto: billionaire founder of Conair

47.          Leslie Wexner, billionaire founder of Limited Brands.

48.          Marc Rich: billionaire commodities investor and founder of Marc Rich & Co.

49.          S. Daniel Abraham: billionaire founder of Slim-Fast.

50.          Theodore Waitt: billionaire founder of Gateway Computers.

51.          Y.C. Wang: billionaire founder of Formosa Plastics.

52.          Paul Allen: billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corporation; dropped out of Washington State University.

53.          Ralph Lauren: Billionaire fashion mogul. Studied business at Baruch College for two years and dropped out.

54.          Dean Kamen: Billionaire Kamen holds more than 80 US patents; famous for the Segwey PT, Auto syringe and IBOT robotic wheelchair; dropped out of Worcester Polytechnic.

55.          Dhirubhai Ambani: Famous founder of Reliance Group and father to two billionaires; Anil and Mukesh Ambani. Started Reliance Industries from scratch and never saw the four walls of school.

Is a College Degree Necessary for Building a Successful Business?

Is a college degree necessary for building a successful business? Well, we are going to find out soon. For quite a long time, there has been a silent war of who’s who going on between the academic intellects (school smarts) and the successful drop out billionaires (street smarts). One group argue strongly that a college degree is a leverage to succeeding in the business world while others argue that school does not prepare an individual for the challenges of the business world.

                “If I had learned education, I would not have had time to learn anything else.” -  Cornelius Vanderbilt

Now who’s right or wrong? Well, I can’t say but instead of taking sides, I am going to sit on the fence and share my own opinion objectively. So is a college degree necessary for building a successful business? Read on to find your own answers.

Is a College Degree Necessary for Building a Successful Business?

Most people will argue in the positive that a college degree building a successful business. I call this group the “School Smarts.” They base their stand on the fact that education gives entrepreneurs an edge, a strong business sense and a good start in business. They also argue that education will give you connections and make you a better networker.

Though I am not academically smart, I can attest to the fact that the school smarts have a strong point there. In fact, they are very correct. But instead of taking sides; let me share with you my own point of view.

P.S: I am not trying to buy anybody over or convince you to accept my point of view. Please note that I am entitled to my own opinion and I will stand strongly by them. You are entitled to yours too. You are also free to criticize my point of view on your blog but please make sure you link to this article so your readers can read my own point of view and make their judgments.

Is a College Degree Necessary for Building a Successful Business?

With respect to the question asked above, here’s my take:

1.            Successful entrepreneurs that possess college degrees; I am talking about entrepreneurs such as Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos and Aliko Dangote; the richest black man in the world have openly stated that education or a college degree has nothing to do with building a business. None of these entrepreneurs have openly accredited their success in business to lessons learned while in college because they see no relationship between entrepreneurship and an academic degree.

I strongly agree with this fact because I have seen academic punks, geeks and students who couldn’t survive in school; grow up to become entrepreneurial giants. And then their classmates or course mates who came out of school with flying colors often begin to wonder “how did the geek of yesterday become so rich.” If a college degree guarantees success, then these super academic geniuses should have maintained their lead in life.

                “I have nothing against education. But at times, education gives people false confidence. It makes people relax, trusting in the power of their certificates rather than in working hard.” – Rasaq Okoya

2.            The most successful, famous and celebrated entrepreneurs are drop outs. In such group are individuals like Bill Gates, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ford and Larry Ellison. I call them the “Drop out billionaires.” Does this statistics ring a bell in your head?

                Successful Entrepreneurs and World’s Richest School Drop out Billionaires

3.            Entrepreneurship is an active game and you don’t learn the ropes by reading books or solving mathematics. You learn by doing; you learn by taking real life test where the consequences and effects of your actions are real. Schools don’t encourage such type of learning.

4.            A college degree is never a necessity in building a successful business because the academic process an individual undergoes to obtain a degree abhors mistakes. College degree holders you are driven by the fear of failing, fear of making mistakes and fear of coming out with poor grades. When you make a mistake in school, you are suspended, forced to repeat or reprimanded.

In retrospect, the entrepreneurial process thrives on mistakes. In the business world, mistakes are part of the learning process. Without making business mistakes; there’s no progress.

                “Success is a poor teacher. We learn the most about ourselves when we fail, so don’t be afraid of failing. Failing is part of the process of success. You cannot have success without failure.” – Rich Dad

                “The business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior. But simple behavior is more effective.” – Warren Buffett

5.            I believe school limits our entrepreneurial abilities; abilities such as delayed gratification, risk taking, self belief, creativity and instinct. So therefore, the college degree holders lack the entrepreneurial skills to survive in the business world. Entrepreneurship thrives on creativity, innovation and uncertainty while the academic process that produces the college degree holders thrives on boring routine and certainty.

6.            To me, a college degree means you’ve given up control of your life; it means you’ve given up your freedom to your boss in return for a job. Entrepreneurship is not about giving up control; it’s all about taking charge of your life. It’s all about taking control of your destiny and living the lifestyle of your dreams.

7.            A college degree makes you conservative and conservatives don’t make good entrepreneurs. A college degree molds you into being a good corporate manager; not an entrepreneur and that’s why degree holders end up managing the drop out’s companies. To further understand the discrepancy, I will suggest you read the article linked below.

                Entrepreneurs vs. Managers: What’s the big difference?

8.            In school, you are forced to take test and exams on your own in return for a college degree but business is a team sport. You don’t take test alone; you don’t play alone. If you must win in business, you’ve got to form business teams and co-operate with the big boys. If you must win in school and receive a degree, you have to play and take test alone. If you co-operate in school, it’s called cheating. What a discrepancy?

                “When employees unite, they form a union but when business owners unite, they form a team.” – Robert Kiyosaki

9.            How can a college degree be a leverage to build a successful business when entrepreneurship, business and financial intelligence are not taught in school? You might argue that entrepreneurship is now been added as a course to college curriculums. You are right but I will show you a flaw. Most of lecturers and professors teaching entrepreneurship in colleges are not business men and have no real life experience on how to run a business. They only teach what they read in books.

                “Business and financial intelligence are not picked up within the four walls of school. You pick them up on the streets. In school, you are taught how to manage other people’s money. On the streets, you are taught how to make money.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

10.          The best way to learn the ropes of building a business is never in school. You can never learn to build a business by listening to boring lecturers and solving boring subjects. You learn how to build a business is on the street. You learn how to build a business by actively engaging in the business process; you learn by being mentored by a savvy entrepreneur and you learn by trial and error.

“I have been within the four walls of school and I have been on the street. I can confidently tell you that the street is tougher, challenging, daring, exciting and more rewarding. In school; you play alone. But on the street, you play with the big boys.” – Ajaero Tony Martins

As a final note, I believe I have made my point clear that a college degree does not in any way add value to the entrepreneurial process of building a business. If you feel otherwise, then you are free to challenge or criticize my point of view but be sure to link to this article so that your loyalist can also see my point of view and take their stand. Before I lay my pen to rest, I leave you with these extra pointers.

·         Thomas Edison was called a Dumb by his teachers; yet he started from scratch and built General Electric, one of the most powerful companies in the world.

·         Henry Ford was called an ignorant man by some academic intellects, yet he built the Ford Motor Company and became one of the richest men in history.

·         Larry Ellison dropped out of college twice and was told he will never amount to anything but he went on to build Oracle Corporation, one of the world’s largest software companies.

How Lawrence Ellison Built Oracle Corporation; the Second Largest Software Company in the world

Welcome to the world of Lawrence (Larry) Ellison, the flamboyant, school drop out billionaire. Who was once written off by family and friends because he dropped out of college twice. Yet, he went ahead to build one of the world largest software company, Oracle Corporation.

Lawrence J. EllisonLawrence J. Ellison was born in Bronx, New York. At nine months, Larry contracted pneumonia and his unmarried 19 year old mother gave him to her aunt and uncle; Lillian and Louis Ellison who lived on the south side of Chicago. Lillian and Louis Ellison raised Larry as their own son in their two bedroom apartment.

During the Great Depression, Larry adoptive father lost his real estate business and began to earn a living as an auditor for the public housing authority. Larry Ellison attended South Shore High School and from his early age, he displayed an independent, rebellious attitude that made him clash with his adoptive father on several occasions. At the age of 12, Larry discovered he was adopted but that was not enough to kill his ambition.

After graduation from High School in 1962, Larry enrolled at the University of Illinois. He exhibited a strong passion for math and science that earned him Science student of the year at the University of Illinois. While in his second year, Larry’s adoptive mother died of cancer and Larry dropped out of school. Larry later enrolled in the University of Chicago to pursue a degree in Mathematics and Physics but he dropped out again after the first semester. Larry’s adoptive father concluded that Larry will never amount to anything in life.


For almost eight years, Larry Ellison went from job to job working as a freelance programmer using the computer knowledge and skill he learned from his few years in college. He worked as a technician for Fireman’s Fund and Wells Fargo bank. As a programmer at Ampex, he participated in building the first IBM-compatible mainframe system.

In 1977, Ellison and two of his Ampex colleagues, Robert Miner and Ed Oates, founded their own company, Software Development Labs in which Larry Ellison served as Chief Executive Officer. Ellison had come across a paper called “A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks” by Edgar F. (”Ted”) Codd, describing a concept Codd had developed at IBM. Codd’s employers saw no commercial potential in the concept of a Structured Query Language (SQL), but Larry Ellison did.

Ellison and his partners won a two-year contract to build a relational database management system (RDBMS) for the CIA. The project’s code name: Oracle. They finished the project a year ahead of schedule and used the extra time to develop their system for commercial applications. They named their commercial RDBMS Oracle as well.

In 1980, Ellison’s company had only eight employees, and revenues were less than $1 million, but the following year, IBM adopted Oracle software for its mainframe systems, and Oracle’s sales doubled every year for the next seven years,. The million dollar company was becoming a billion dollar company. Ellison renamed the company Oracle Corporation.

Oracle went public in 1986, raising $31.5 million with its initial public offering, but the firm’s zealous young staff habitually overstated revenues, and in 1990 the company posted its first losses. Oracle’s market capitalization fell by 80 percent and the company appeared to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Accepting the need for drastic change, he replaced much of the original senior staff with more experienced managers. For the first time, he delegated the management side of the business to professionals, and channeled his own energy into product development. A new version of the database program Oracle 7, released in 1992, swept the field and made Oracle the industry leader in database management software. In only two years the company’s stock had regained much of its previous value.

Larry EllisonEven as Oracle’s fortunes rose again, Ellison suffered a series of personal mishaps. Long an enthusiast of strenuous outdoor activities, Ellison suffered serious injuries while body surfing and mountain biking. He recovered from major surgery, and continued to race his 78-foot yacht, Sayonara, and to practice aerobatics in a succession of private jets, including decommissioned fighter planes. In 1998, Ellison and Sayonara won the Sydney to Hobart race, overcoming near-hurricane winds that sank five other boats, drowning six participants. Ellison is a principal supporter of the BMW Oracle Racing team, which has been a significant force in America’s Cup competition. His yacht, Rising Sun, over 450 feet long, is one of the largest privately owned vessels in the world.

Oracle’s fortunes continued to rise throughout the 1990s. America’s banks, airlines, automobile companies and retail giants all came to depend on Oracle’s database programs. Under Ellison’s leadership, Oracle became a pioneer in providing business applications over the Internet. Oracle benefited hugely from the growth of electronic commerce; its net profits increased by 76 percent in a single quarter of the year 2000. As the stocks of other high tech companies fluctuated wildly, Oracle held its value, and its largest shareholder, founder and CEO Larry Ellison, came close to a long-cherished goal, surpassing Microsoft’s Bill Gates to become the richest man in the world.


Beginning in 2004, Ellison set out to increase Oracle’s market share through a series of strategic acquisitions. Oracle spent more than $25 billion in only three years to buy a flock of companies both large and small, makers of software for managing data, identity, retail inventory and logistics. The first major acquisition was PeopleSoft, purchased at the end of 2004 for $10.3 billion. No sooner was the ink dry on the PeopleSoft deal than Ellison trumped rival SAP to acquire retail software developer Retek. Within the following year, Oracle also acquired competitor Siebel Systems. Ellison capped his buying spree with the acquisition of business intelligence software provider Hyperion Solutions in 2007.

BEA Systems was bought for $6.5billion, Sun Microsystems was bought in January 2010 for $7.4billion and Oracle owns a 52% stake in Net Suite worth $480million. As at March 2010, Oracle was reported to have acquired 57 companies in the last five years.

Today, the school drop out, Lawrence Ellison has consistently been on the Forbes top ten list of world richest people and he is not resting on his oars. Larry Ellison has proven to all that building a successful business has nothing to do with a college degree. All it takes is determination, dream, persistence, the right product, the right plan and the right team.