Flunky champs

Those who haven’t fared well in the Boards needn’t lose heart. Ripu Daman Singh lists winners who never completed their education, and yet ruled the world.

Those who haven’t fared well in the Boards needn’t lose heart. Here is a list of winners who never completed their education, and yet ruled the world.

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Bill Gates: Known as the richest man in the world, the brain behind the software giant Microsoft is a true inspiration for college dropouts. At 19, he dropped out of Harvard to work on his start-up company. He had no idea what he wanted to study and spent nights in front of the school’s computer.

Richard Branson: His Virgin brand of over 350 companies seems improbable for someone who did not even finish high school. Branson suffered from dyslexia and dropped out at the age of 16. Thereafter, he began his first successful business, Student magazine, and opened his first charity, the Student Advisory Centre. He turned his brand Virgin into a giant, branching out into airways, telecom etc. Branson was knighted in 1999 for services to entrepreneurship.

Ralph Lauren: The famous fashion designer never attended any fashion school. Son of a Jewish house painter, Lauren worked his way after school to buy stylish suits. He went to the City College, New York, to study business, but dropped out after two years. After an army stint, he worked for the Brooks Brothers as a salesman and created the label Polo. Today, his fashion empire is a multi-billion dollar industry.

Woody Allen: His cerebral wit and unique style of filmmaking has made him one of the most respected filmmakers in the world. A three-time Academy Award winner, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright Allen went to New York University to study communication and film. However, the veteran was thrown off due to lack of punctuality and commitment.