Sometimes the best education comes from experience. This is most true in the business and creative worlds – especially in the emerging markets. The story of school or college dropouts moving on to astronomical success is not uncommon. BRIC Plus News presents the ten successful college dropouts from emerging markets, and tells you all you need to know.
1. Roman Abramhovic
This Russian billionaire is the richest man in London. Dropping out of college in the 1990s, Abrahmovic soon made his mark, taking part in a series of export deals. Using his growing fortune, Abramahov purchased the London-based football club, Chelsea FC, in 2003. In 2005, he sold off his 72.6% stake in oil company Sibnet to Russian gas giant Gazprom for a staggering $13bn. He now spends the days enjoying his lavish life, and spending time with his wife and family.
[via Evening Standard]
2. Gautam Adani
Financial difficulties forced Gautam Adani to make the decision to leave Gujarat University – but that did not stop him achieving success. His business journey began when he started to import PVC plastic, and, on the back of this, Adani Exports was created. From a small plastics importer, Adani has grown his businesses to include power, shipping, and exports.
3. Nirav Modi
Modi decided to leave the prestigious Wharton School of Business in Pennsylvania in the US, and return to India, to work with his uncle in the diamond trade. His fortunes began to rise with the creation of necklace made of a rare 12.29 carat Golconda diamond, which was sold at auction for 3.5million.
4. Mathangi Arulpragasam (M.I.A)
A British artist of Sri Lankan origin, M.I.A has undoubtedly made her mark on the music scene. A three-time Grammy nominee, M.I.A.’s unique and bold aesthetic and style have shaken up the music world. Her latest efforts feature dancers and artists from across the emerging world, in an attempt to portray the rich cultural heritage than inspired her latest album and project, Matadahatah.
5. Hiroshi Yamauchi
Yamauchi dropped out of college to run his family business – Nintendo. Taking over from his grandfather, Yamauchi turned the business into one of the world’s most successful video gaming companies within half a century.
6. Haim Saban
M.I.A. isn’t the only passionate person to leave college in order to pursue a career in the arts. Haim Saban dropped out of college to produce Power Rangers in the early 1990s. A highly successful programme, Saban later sold the idea and network to Disney for $5bn.
7. Jan Koum
The founder of WhatsApp made headlines when he sold the business to Facebook for an astonishing $22bn. A former engineer at Yahoo, the Ukrainian native left the company in 2009, founding WhatsApp with a former colleague. Clearly, the decisions to leave both college and Yahoo paid off handsomely.
8. Li Ka Shing
The founder of Cheung Kong Holdings, left school at the tender age of 15, and began to sell watches. Now he is the world’s biggest operator of container terminals, a major supplier of energy, and owns the world’s largest health and beauty retailer, Watsons, alongside many other ventures. These have earned him a net worth of $33.5bn.
[via Forbes]
9. Rocky Aoki
Aoki is a man of many interests. Not only is the successful founder of the Benihana restaurant chain, he is a national wrestling champion in his native Japan, and was the first person to pilot a hot air balloon across the Pacific Ocean. After receiving many wrestling scholarships, Aoki turned them all down for Keiko University – only to be expelled for fighting.
10. Mukesh Ambani
Ambani dropped out of graduate school at Stanford University in order to help his father establish a polyester plant. Years later, Ambani has built up a net worth of $21.5bn, and has recieved prestigious awards such as a Global Leadership Award.
These pioneers show that there is more than one way to achieve an education. Particularly in the emerging markets, great success often comes from practical. A degree of risk is required to achieve ones dreams – and for the ten success stories, this brought significant rewards.
