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Entrepreneurs Who Started Off As College Dropouts

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An idea is all it takes for something great to happen, right? Right. Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Walt Disney and Oprah Winfrey all have one thing in common: they worked on their idea without thinking about the risks or repercussions. Here are a few entrepreneurs who started off as college dropouts and went on to establish some really successful companies very early in life!

1. Bill Gates 

Founder of Microsoft and a college dropout, Bill Gates is one of the richest billionaires with a total net worth of $ 80 billion! Working on his entrepreneurial journey early in life by building computers for his friends in university, he quickly realised there was a lot of commercial and engineering value in exploring new software for computers. When Paul Allen and Bill Gates met on common ground at Harvard University, they realised their dreams were not just the same, but easily achievable if they worked together! Looking at the quick success of their baby, BASIC, the two realised they had in their hands (and minds) the key to unfathomable success. Allen and Gates officially created Micro-Soft in the year 1975 and a year later, when the hyphen dropped, the doors to a new world opened!

2. Steve Jobs 

When Steve Jobs started working at Atari, he was a dropout from Reed College! With a zeal for reforming the world of computers and technology, Jobs very soon, realised where his true passion lay! Moving up from Atari to Apple, Jobs created the first macintosh, Apple I and after that, there was no turning back for the man who dared to dream. Despite being kicked off from his own company, he was hired back as the CEO and ended up revolutionizing Apple’s path. When he passed away, Jobs valuation lay at a whopping $ 11 billion!

3. Mark Zuckerberg

When Mark Zuckerberg started tinkering around with a new social media platform for people to interact with on a large scale basis, he realised he could not make it big while still in college. When he started the initial ground work for Facebook in college, little did he know that he was on the precipice of making history. Despite dropping out of college, the man created something so unique, his personal wealth is now valued at a cool $ 35 billion!

4. John Mackey 

They say the way to a man’s heart is through food and John Mackey believed in that logic to the letter. He dropped out of college not once, but several times. In and out for over 6 years, the last time when he went to college was when he met the love of his life! At 25, he rejoined college to study religion and philosophy. Still not satisfied, he joined a vegetarian co op and finally discovered where his dreams lay. Food was his one true love and the recreation of this love resulted in the creation of the now really famous Whole Foods! Through the years, Whole Foods grew so quickly that at the end of the last quarter, its annual turnover stood at $ 14 billion!

5. Oprah Winfrey 

Going through more than her fair share of ups and downs, Oprah Winfrey is perhaps one of the few women from the black community to have made it big on her own. From growing up in multiple homes over the years to almost completing college, Oprah became the voice of the nation through The Oprah Winfrey Show! With a personal valuation standing at $ 2.9 billion, Oprah’s life has been an inspiration to people all over the world.

Entrepreneurs are not just made overnight, showing us college degrees are not as much a necessity as passion. If you could drop out of college and follow your dream, what would you do?

 

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Larry Page: The Visionary Co-Founder Behind Google’s Global Success

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Larry Page

Larry Page is a visionary technology entrepreneur and co-founder of Google, one of the world’s most influential companies. Born in 1973 in Michigan, Page grew up surrounded by computer technology, which inspired his passion for innovation from an early age. He studied computer engineering at the University of Michigan and later pursued his PhD at Stanford University, where he developed the revolutionary PageRank algorithm with Sergey Brin. This technology fundamentally changed the way search engines rank websites, making Google the most accurate and popular search engine globally.

The journey of Larry Page and Google began in 1998 when they officially launched the search engine from a small garage. Leveraging their unique algorithm, Google quickly surpassed competitors due to its ability to deliver highly relevant search results, transforming internet search forever. Under Larry Page’s leadership as CEO, Google expanded beyond search to launch groundbreaking products including YouTube, Gmail, and Google Maps, turning it into a global tech powerhouse that shapes how we access and interact with information online.

Larry Page later became the CEO of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc., driving innovation and investment in next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and healthcare solutions. His visionary leadership and commitment to technological advancement have cemented his legacy as one of the most influential figures in the tech industry. Today, Larry Page remains a key influencer in shaping the future of technology and digital innovation worldwide.

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India’s Tech Story: Airtel Spreads AI Access, Ohm Mobility Lessons

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Airtel AI

Bharti Airtel has launched the innovative “Airtel-Perplexity Blueprint,” partnering with Perplexity to provide over 360 million customers free access to Perplexity Pro for a year—a benefit valued at ₹17,000 ($200). This collaboration enables Airtel users across mobile, broadband, and digital TV to harness advanced capabilities in generative AI, including leading AI models like GPT 4.1, Claude, and Gemini, along with up to 300 Pro searches daily, image generation, document analysis, and personalized planning services. The move is seen as a milestone for telecom innovation and the democratization of AI in India, making powerful research and productivity tools accessible to a massive user base.

This strategic partnership positions Airtel as an “AI-first” telecom provider, allowing it to gain key insights into user interactions with artificial intelligence and adapt its networks for growing digital demands. For Perplexity, the tie-up grants exclusive access to India’s vast telecom audience, rapidly propelling the app to the No. 1 spot on the Indian App Store, surpassing global competitors like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. Airtel customers can activate their complimentary subscription seamlessly through the Airtel Thanks App, under the Rewards and OTTs section, reinforcing Airtel’s commitment to digital customer empowerment.

The broader Indian startup ecosystem reflects both breakthrough innovation and hard-earned lessons, illustrated by the recent shutdown of Ohm Mobility, an EV financing startup. Despite multiple pivots and industry-leading investors, Ohm Mobility struggled to achieve a sustainable business model—a reminder of the challenges in market fit and adaptability. As AI adoption accelerates and startup realities evolve, industry leaders like Airtel and Perplexity are setting new standards, while others, like Ohm Mobility, offer valuable insights on resilience and the importance of business model flexibility in India’s dynamic tech landscape.

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Tesla Secures Mumbai Facility as Key Step in India Market Entry

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Tesla StartupStories

Tesla has ramped up its India expansion by leasing a 24,565 sq ft warehouse at Lodha Logistics Park in Mumbai’s Kurla West. The five-year lease, registered on May 16, 2025, involves a total rent of over ₹24 crore, starting at ₹37.53 lakh per month with a 5% annual escalation. The facility includes two ground-floor units and 20 parking spots, with rent payments commencing June 1, 2025.

This warehouse will function as a key service center and garage for Tesla’s India operations, excluding bodywork and spray painting. The move supports Tesla’s preparations for its official market debut, expected in late 2025 or early 2026.

Tesla’s India rollout includes offices in Pune, flagship showrooms in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and Delhi-NCR, and co-working spaces in Mumbai. The new warehouse lease highlights Tesla’s commitment to building a robust infrastructure for sales, service, and delivery of electric vehicles and energy products across India.

While manufacturing plans are not yet confirmed, Tesla is reportedly exploring sites in Maharashtra for a potential assembly unit. The Mumbai warehouse lease marks a significant step in Tesla’s strategy to establish a strong presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing EV markets.

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