Entrepreneur Stories
Entrepreneurs Who Started Off As College Dropouts
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?
Entrepreneur Stories
Indian Man Quits JPMorgan, Takes 70% Pay Cut to Launch $6 Million Startup
Leaving behind a high-paying job at JPMorgan, an Indian entrepreneur embraced a 70% salary cut to pursue true purpose and passion in the startup world. Disenchanted with what he described as a “robotic” corporate routine, he sought meaningful work that made a real impact. This pivotal decision marked the beginning of his new journey, one focused on value creation rather than titles and corporate perks.
Powered by resilience and fresh perspective, the entrepreneur launched his own startup, prioritizing innovation and hands-on solutions. The road was challenging, but his vision resonated with the market: the startup quickly gained traction and raised $6 million—an impressive acknowledgement of its potential in a competitive landscape. Every hard lesson from early setbacks and bootstrapping paid off in real customer growth and investor confidence.
Today, his journey stands as an inspiring example for professionals seeking authentic success outside the corporate grind. By trading comfort for creative freedom, he grew a venture that solves important problems, generates jobs, and builds wealth beyond just salary. For ambitious founders, his story highlights the power of risk-taking, adaptability, and relentless focus on impact in India’s thriving startup ecosystem.
Videos
Larry Page: The Visionary Co-Founder Behind Google’s Global Success
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.
Entrepreneur Stories
India’s Tech Story: Airtel Spreads AI Access, Ohm Mobility Lessons
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.

iwin
November 6, 2025 at 3:08 am
iwin – nền tảng game bài đổi thưởng uy tín, nơi bạn có thể thử vận may và tận hưởng nhiều tựa game hấp
MM88
November 6, 2025 at 8:15 am
Với giao diện mượt mà và ưu đãi hấp dẫn, MM88 là lựa chọn lý tưởng cho các tín đồ giải trí trực tuyến.
谷歌蜘蛛池
November 10, 2025 at 2:26 am
利用强大的谷歌蜘蛛池技术,大幅提升网站收录效率与页面抓取频率。谷歌蜘蛛池
MM88
November 11, 2025 at 10:33 pm
Khám phá thế giới giải trí trực tuyến đỉnh cao tại MM88, nơi mang đến những trải nghiệm cá cược thể thao và casino sống động.
站群程序
November 12, 2025 at 6:05 am
搭载智能站群程序,自动化搭建与管理,为SEO项目提供核心驱动力。站群程序
Kuwin
November 24, 2025 at 1:31 am
kuwin sở hữu kho game đa dạng từ slot đến trò chơi bài đổi thưởng, mang đến cho bạn những giây phút giải trí tuyệt vời.
GO88
November 25, 2025 at 5:51 am
Tham gia cộng đồng game thủ tại Go88 để trải nghiệm các trò chơi bài, poker phổ biến nhất hiện nay.
J88
November 30, 2025 at 1:16 pm
Đến với J88, bạn sẽ được trải nghiệm dịch vụ cá cược chuyên nghiệp cùng hàng ngàn sự kiện khuyến mãi độc quyền.