Success stories among the world’s wealthiest individuals showcase a range of educational backgrounds. While some billionaires have pursued advanced degrees, others have found success without completing their formal education. Here’s a look at the educational histories of some of the most influential billionaires, ranked from highest to lowest education levels.
1. Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett, renowned as one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, has a distinguished educational background. After initially studying at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Buffett transferred to the University of Nebraska, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He furthered his studies with a master’s degree in economics from Columbia Business School, under the mentorship of Benjamin Graham, the ‘father of the stock market.’
2. Bernard Arnault
Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of LVMH, who recently became the richest person in the world with a net worth of $221 billion, holds an engineering degree from École Polytechnique. This prestigious institution in France provided him with the expertise to lead his global luxury goods empire.
3. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, began his higher education at Princeton University, initially studying physics before switching to electrical engineering and computer science. With a net worth of $193.9 billion, Bezos has significantly impacted global commerce. He received an honorary doctorate in science and technology from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008.
4. Elon Musk
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, attended Queen’s University in Canada before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned degrees in physics and economics. Although he started a Ph.D. program at Stanford University, Musk left after two days to explore opportunities in the emerging internet industry. His net worth stands at $1.98 billion.
5. Larry Ellison
Larry Ellison, co-founder and executive chairman of Oracle, has a net worth of $143.8 billion. Ellison studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Chicago, focusing on physics, mathematics, and computer design, though he did not complete his degree at either institution.
6. Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of META, was a Harvard University student when he launched Facebook. Initially majoring in psychology and computer science, Zuckerberg left Harvard in 2005 to focus on developing Facebook, which has since become a leading tech company.
7. Bill Gates
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, began his studies at Harvard University, where he studied mathematics and computer science. He dropped out after two years to start Microsoft with Paul Allen. Despite leaving Harvard, Gates became one of the most successful entrepreneurs in history.
