Studying is usually one of the main tactics for advancing in an executive career. But the strategy seems to have been different among those who have reached the top. Although several of them obtained their diplomas, in many other cases the creation of the empire put the development of academic education on hold. Here are the careers studied by the world’s richest and how many fell by the wayside.

Bill Gates, for example, has a fortune of more than u$s79,000 million (according to international publications), thanks to the creation of Microsoft, company of which he was president until February last year, when he retired from daily management. Today, he is dedicated to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, an organization he leads with his wife and which has donated more than u$s20,000 million since 2000. Gates began his academic career far from his current focus: he tried to become a lawyer at Harvard University, but dropped out in 1976, a year after founding the software giant.

Carlos Slim Helú, on the other hand, does have a degree: he is a Civil Engineer from the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM), his country of origin. He not only studied there, but also taught Algebra and Linear Programming. He has a fortune of more than u$s75,000 million, partly from América Móvil, his telecommunications empire with operations in 18 countries and more than 265 million customers. In addition to his stake in the conglomerates Grupo Carso and Grupo Financiero Inbursa, he is also a minority shareholder of Saks Fifth Avenue and The New York Times, according to El Cronista.

Warren Buffett, recognized as the guru of the business and financial world, studied economics at Wharton Business School, which he abandoned in his second year because, he explained in several interviews, he considered that his professors knew less than he did. Likewise, he completed his studies at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. “The best experience as a student I had was at Nebraska. I would say it’s my best experience overall with the exception of the year at Columbia, where I studied with Benjamin Graham (the father of value investing),” are his memories of that time. The founder of Berkshire Hathaway, owner of a fortune of more than u$s72,000 million, earned a Master of Science degree at the New York educational institution. He always recommends an MBA if you are interested in business.

Meanwhile, the brothers Charles and David Koch, leaders of the industrial and financial holding company Koch Industries, the second largest unlisted company in the United States, took advantage of their time in academia and have several diplomas to their credit. Charles, the eldest, received a bachelor’s degree in General Engineering from MIT in 1957. The following year, he earned a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. But there is more, because in 1960 he earned another master’s degree in Chemical Engineering. David, the youngest, was not far behind: he holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the same institution. Today, each of them has a fortune of us $43,000 million.

On the other side of the ocean, in Europe, Amancio Ortega, the man behind Inditex, the textile empire responsible for, among other brands, Zara, acknowledges: “My university is my profession”. And he assures that his is a “business vocation”, since he has been working since he was 13 years old. With a personal fortune of us $65,800 million, he ceased to be the chairman of the group in 2011, but retains 60% of the shares.

Also recently removed from his executive duties is Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, who made a surprise announcement in September last year. The company, which he founded in 1977, allowed him to amass a fortune of more than u$s54,000 million. He attended elementary and high school in Chicago, his hometown, but chose the University of Illinois to begin his college career. The death of his adoptive mother meant that he interrupted his studies at that institution. At the University of Chicago, where he made his second attempt, he did not finish either. But there he discovered his passion for computers and his entrepreneurial streak.

Among family empires, that of the Waltons, founders and owners of the Walmart retail chain, is one of the most recognized. Christy Walton is the widow of John T. Walton, heir of Sam Walton, the founder. In fact, she is the richest woman in the world, with more than u$s41.1 billion. A homemaker, she channels most of her time into philanthropic activities. Jim, her brother-in-law and president of the financial arm of the giant, holds a degree in Arts and Sciences from the University of Arkansas, according to El Cronista.

In the club of the youngest millionaires, studies seem to be conspicuous by their absence. Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, is perhaps the example par excellence. He chose Harvard University to study psychology and computer science. However, when he was in his second year of his degree, he founded Facebook. And when the social network took off, he dropped out. Today, he has more than u$s35,200 million of personal fortune and Facebook continues to consolidate as the most important social network in the world, which is now not only listed on the Stock Exchange, but also completed the acquisition of applications such as WhatsApp. Dustin Moskovitz, his roommate at Harvard and Facebook’s third employee, is also one of the world’s youngest billionaires: u$s8300 million at the age of 30. He was studying economics until he decided to follow Zuckerberg to Palo Alto to continue the development of Facebook.

Meanwhile, Evan Spiegel, with a fortune of us $1500 million and only 24 years old, is the CEO of Snapchat, the instant photo messaging firm he founded with Bobby Murphy in 2011. The university served as the meeting place between the two entrepreneurs. Spiegel studied Product Design at Stanford University, where he met Murphy, two years older, who was studying Mathematics. Together they developed the application that has more than 100 million users a month and that Facebook tried to acquire, unsuccessfully. The one who did get his degree is Drew Houston, co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, who completed a degree in Arts and Sciences from MIT. His fortune is around us $1.2 billion.

Tomado de: https://www.iprofesional.com/management/206860-que-carreras-estudiaron-los-empresarios-mas-ricos-del-mundo