Despite being admitted to the world’s most prestigious university, billionaire Bill Gates decided to drop out to pursue his dreams of joining the software revolution!
Bill Gates dropping out of Harvard is a significant event in both his personal life and in the history of technology. His decision to leave Harvard and start Microsoft marked a turning point in his career and set the stage for the revolution that the personal computer would bring about in the coming years.
Bill Gates showed an early interest in computers and programming. While still in high school, Gates and his friend Paul Allen started working on computer software, and they quickly became proficient in a variety of programming languages. When Gates enrolled in Harvard in 1973, he intended to study mathematics, but he also continued to work on software projects in his spare time.
At Harvard, Gates had access to some of the best computer equipment and resources available at the time, and he continued to hone his programming skills. However, he soon began to feel that his time was better spent working on his software projects than attending classes. In his second year at Harvard, Gates and Allen wrote a version of BASIC, a programming language that would become the foundation of Microsoft’s future success. They were able to sell their company.
version of BASIC to MITS, and this success fueled their desire to start their own software.
In 1975, Gates made the decision to drop out of Harvard and focus on building Microsoft. He and Allen moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they set up their first office and began working on their first software product, Altair BASIC. The product was a success, and Microsoft soon began to expand and develop more software products, including the popular MS-DOS operating system, which became the standard operating system for IBM-compatible personal computers.
It’s worth noting that Gates had already achieved a significant level of success in the software industry before he dropped out of Harvard. He had co-founded a company called Traf-O-Data, which created software for traffic analysis, and had sold his first software program while still in high school. Gates’ decision to drop out of Harvard was not without controversy, and it was criticized by some who believed that he was throwing away a valuable education. However, Gates believed that the opportunities presented by the emerging personal computer industry were too great to pass up.”When the first computer using that microprocessor came out, Paul [Allen] and I said we’ve got to be the first to get in on this,” said Bill Gates. “And that’s when I left school.” While Gates’ decision to drop out of college was controversial at the time, ultimately Gates achieved great success and made a lasting impact on the world.
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FAQs
His work on programming and software development started way before his Harvard days. This indicates that Gates' drive and passion were intrinsic to his success story, which likely would have propelled him forward regardless of his academic endeavours.
What happened after Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard? ›
In 1975, Gates made the decision to drop out of Harvard and focus on building Microsoft. He and Allen moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they set up their first office and began working on their first software product, Altair BASIC.
Why didn t Gates graduate from Harvard? ›
Gates famously dropped out of Harvard University in 1975 to start Microsoft with cofounder Paul Allen. He previously said he had a "great experience" at the university but was worried about missing out on being a part of the computing revolution, per Insider.
What was the result of Gates dropping out of college? ›
Despite dropping out of Harvard University after only three semesters, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates managed to carve out a pretty good life for himself with his tech company and his philanthropic pursuits.
Is Mark Zuckerberg a Harvard dropout? ›
Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard to start Facebook, whose parent company is now known as Meta Platforms Inc.
Was Elon Musk a dropout? ›
Musk later transferred to the University of Pennsylvania and received bachelor's degrees in economics and physics. He moved to California in 1995 to attend Stanford University, but dropped out after two days and, with his brother Kimbal, co-founded online city guide software company Zip2.
Who dropped out of Harvard to become the richest man in the world? ›
Yes, Bill Gates did drop out of Harvard University in 1975, after completing two years of his undergraduate studies. Along with his friend Paul Allen, Gates founded Microsoft Corporation, which went on to become one of the most successful and influential technology companies in the world.
Does Elon Musk have a college degree? ›
Elon Musk went to Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he received bachelor's degrees in physics and economics in 1997.
Did Jeff Bezos drop out of college? ›
Bezos was born in Albuquerque and raised in Houston and Miami. He graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with degrees in electrical engineering and computer science. He worked on Wall Street in a variety of related fields from 1986 to early 1994.
What is the IQ of Bill Gates? ›
What is Bill Gates IQ? Bill Gates's IQ is 157 ± 6, according to our mathematical analysis based on SAT score averages. With a correlation coefficient of 0.8 between SAT scores and IQ, this approach provides a trustworthy approximation. What is Einstein IQ?
| Mark Zuckerberg |
|---|
| Education | Harvard University (dropped out) |
| Occupations | Businessman computer programmer philanthropist |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Title | Co-founder, chairman and CEO of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.) Co-founder and co-CEO of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative |
9 more rowsBill Gates, the business magnate and philanthropist, took a break from Harvard after his second year and returned for a bit before finally dropping out for good after his third year. Both times, he decided to leave school to put all of his energy into his company, Microsoft, which he co-founded in 1975.
Why did Steve Jobs drop out of college? ›
Yes, Steve Jobs dropped out of college. He enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, in 1972, but he dropped out after just six months. Jobs later explained that he felt the college education he was receiving was too expensive for his working-class parents and that he didn't see the value in it at that time.
Did Jeff Bezos dropout of Harvard? ›
The Amazon and Blue Origin founder graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with a bachelor's in electrical engineering and computer science. The rest is history.
What is Mark Zuckerberg's IQ? ›
Einstein IQ: 160+, Bill Gates IQ: 150+, Elon Musk IQ: 155, Zuckerberg IQ: 152, Sunny Doel's IQ: over 160.
Did any billionaires go to Harvard? ›
According to a 2022 Forbes report, among the alumni of Harvard University there are 188 billionaires.
Why did Bill Gates dropout of university? ›
Bill Gates never finished his undergraduate degree — the billionaire dropped out of Harvard University after three semesters to start Microsoft. “What does a college dropout know about graduation?
Why did Mark Zuckerberg drop out of Harvard? ›
Why did Mark Zuckerberg drop out of college? Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college in 2004 to devote himself to Facebook, which he had founded at Harvard University with four fellow students there—Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes.
How long did Bill Gates stay at Harvard? ›
He did not stay at Harvard long enough to choose a concentration, but took mathematics (including Math 55) and graduate level computer science courses. While at Harvard, he met fellow student and future Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Gates left Harvard after two years while Ballmer stayed and graduated magna cum laude.
Who dropped out of high school and became rich? ›
McDonald's founder Ray Kroc and Walt Disney both left high school to pursue other interests that became globally-recognized brands. Likewise, Henry Ford and Coco Chanel never finished high school but created enduring brand names that outlasted their lifetimes.
