We often hear about high-profile high school dropouts who later became billionaires, but we hear very little about ultra-wealthy people who dropped out of high school to launch their careers.
Billionaires who found fame and fortune after quitting are in industries including fashion, technology and music.
It is generally rarer for high school dropouts to become among the richest people in the world but still, it does happen from time to time.
Here are some of the most famous billionaires who also dropped out of high school:
Amancio Ortega
Amancio Ortega left school at the age of 14 to start running errands for local stores. Years later, Ortega founded the Zara retail chain in his native Spain. Today his company is known nationally.
Today, he is the second richest man in Europe, with a staggering net worth of $70.4 billion.
Jay Z
Jay-Z attended George Westinghouse Technical-Vocational High School but never graduated. Jay-Z became hip-hop's first billionaire in June 2019.
According to Forbes, he is currently worth around $1 billion. His wealth comes from his stakes in beverage brands, art, real estate and companies such as Uber.
While he personally managed to find incredible success after dropping out of high school, the rapper encourages people to take their education seriously.
Richard Branson
Richard Branson dropped out of high school when he was just 16 after struggling with dyslexia. Soon after leaving school, Branson founded his first business, a student magazine, and eventually a record company that later became the Virgin Records music label.
Today, his company, Virgin Group, oversees nearly 500 subsidiaries. Branson himself has a net worth of $3.9 billion.
Francois Pinault
Francois Pinault, founder of the luxury group Kering, left school when he was 11 to work in his father's raw materials factory.
According to Forbes, Pinault left because his peers used to make fun of his "background". Today, he has a net worth of $33.2 billion.
Zhou Qunfei
Zhou Qunfei dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to work in an eye lens factory.
Taking accounting classes at night, she saved about $2.500 and eventually opened her own contact lens company, run by herself and her family.
She is now the CEO of Lens Technology, which makes lenses for brands such as Apple, Samsung and Tesla. In 2015, the company went public and Zhou's stake in the business was worth $7.2 billion, according to the New York Times. /Telegraph/
