Stars who didn't finish school. Star "ignorant" - celebrities who dropped out of school. ... And "ex-bad boys"

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg have long proven that you can build a successful business without a bachelor's degree. But is it realistic to achieve such heights without even receiving a secondary education?

The stories of these people prove that the absence of a school certificate is not a sentence, but a motivation to direct their time and talent in the right direction:

One of the richest residents of the UK, entrepreneur Richard Branson studied at primary school until the age of 13. After the guy was nevertheless transferred to the middle school, the situation did not improve. Branson was one of the worst students. The reason for this is dyslexia, the inability to master the skills of reading and writing. At the age of 16, Branson left attempts to get an education and went straight into business, where he did well. The state of the founder of the Virgin Group Corporation is currently estimated at $ 5 billion. About his path to success and wealth, Branson wrote two - "Losing Virginity" and "Naked Business". Both, by the way, became world bestsellers.

Gisele Bündchen

In 2018, Giselle entered the top five according to Forbes. However, for the sake of a brilliant career, the Brazilian had to sacrifice her education. After a representative of the Elite Modeling agency drew attention to her at MacDonald's, the future supermodel left school. At that time, Gisele Bündchen was only 14.

Hollywood's favorite and sex symbol of the decade, Ryan Gosling, dropped out of school in Canada when he was 17. It was a turning point in the actor's life - immediately after that he got into the popular Disney show "All-New Mickey Mouse Club", from which his career began.

The founder of the Spanish company Inditex has been holding the first position in the ranking of the richest people on the planet for many years. But few know how difficult was Amancio Ortega's path to glory. Due to the poverty of the family, Amancio could not even finish high school. From the age of 13, he began working as a messenger in a shirt shop. Immersed in the clothing industry, a few years later Amancio founded a corporation that now includes brands such as Zara, Mussimo Dutti, Oysho, Bershka, Stradivarius.

Jay– Z

The legendary American rapper changed many schools before he decided to give up studying altogether. The lack of education did not prevent him from becoming a hip-hop star and making a career in producing. According to Forbes, Jay-Z is the fifth richest celebrity in the US.

Li Ka-shing

One of Asia's most influential businessmen was born into the family of a poor school teacher. The death of his father and oppressive poverty forced Lee to drop out of school and take up street trading. At first, the guy sold watch straps, and then got a job at a plastics factory. Having accumulated a meager start-up capital, Li Ka-shing began to gradually build his own business empire. Even after worldwide success, the entrepreneur continues to lead a modest lifestyle, to which he has become accustomed since childhood - he wears only cheap and comfortable shoes, plastic watches, and devotes his free time to reading.

Rihanna

A talented person is talented in everything: Rihanna proved this judgment by her own example. In addition to her musical activities, Rihanna tried her hand at cinema, launched her clothing brand Fenty, and is now actively involved in charity work. Could Rihanna have achieved all this while pursuing her education at school? Maybe. But the fact remains: the star dropped out of training as soon as she signed a contract with Def Jam.

Daniel Radcliffe

Due to an early acting career, Daniel Radcliffe was never able to finish high school. But he gave many of us the magical world of childhood, playing the main role in the Harry Potter saga.

François Pinault

A well-known French businessman realized in his youth that he would not be taught at school what he was most interested in in life - the ability to build a successful business. At 16, Pinault dropped out of school and went to earn start-up capital for his first company, the Pinault group. Francois Pinault is currently worth $8.7 billion.

Keanu Reeves

The successful film actor and winner of a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has experienced problems with socialization all his life. This prevented him from finishing school - Reeves simply did not fit into more than one team. Keanu constantly had skirmishes with classmates and teachers, and he decided to leave training so as not to injure anyone's psyche.

10 successful people who didn't finish school was last modified: March 21st, 2019 by Vlada Gorshunova

Not all successful and famous people studied well at school or even simply managed to finish it. There are many who never finished school, but this did not prevent them from achieving heights in one or another activity.

Robert Downey Jr. left school at 17 to pursue a career in acting, his life nearly ruined by drugs, but he was able to overcome addiction.

British billionaire Richard Branson left school at 16. He suffered from dyslexia and did not study well. The headmaster told Branson that he would either end his life in prison or become a millionaire.

Singer Cher dropped out of school at 16 and began working as a dancer in second-rate clubs. And although she studied well, from an early age she dreamed of becoming famous and therefore chose this path.

Brazilian model Gisele Bündchen left school at 14 and went on to become one of the highest paid models in the world.

Quentin Tarantino dropped out of school at 16 and began working as a usher in a network of porn cinemas, along the way starting to write movie scripts.

Charlie Sheen was kicked out of school in disgrace shortly before graduation due to absenteeism and poor academic performance.

Ryan Gosling started acting in films at the age of 12, and therefore at the age of 17 he had to leave school in order to continue filming in films.

Johnny Depp dropped out of school at 16 to become a rock musician. After 2 weeks, he returned back to school, but the director convinced him to follow his dream. And although for some time he performed as part of the Hollywood Vampires, his acting career brought him celebrity.

Jimm Carrey dropped out at 16 to leave Canada and become a comedian in Hollywood.

Al Pacino left school and left home at the age of 17, and before becoming an actor, he tried many other professions.

Famous actors in the view of ordinary people are the best of the best who have achieved everything thanks to their mind and hard work. In fact, many of the stars didn't even finish high school, let alone graduate.

Gerard Depardieu

Depardieu is considered one of the most scandalous French actors. It turns out that he had a difficult character in early childhood. The schoolboy stole cars and resold them on the black market, and also sold smuggling.

The future actor wanted to go on a European tour, for this he had to leave school at the age of 12. There is no information that Gerard restored his schooling. Many, including fans of the actor, suspect that the celebrity never learned to read and write.

Al Pacino

Another celebrity who was raised by the street. Al Pacino from childhood wanted to become a professional athlete, for this he worked for a long time on the baseball team.

The actor also dropped out of school, however, already at the age of 17. Lack of money forced him to leave school. Before becoming a recognizable actor, Al Pacino worked as a courier, dishwasher and even a cleaner.

It is worth saying that the celebrity has an acting education: Al Pacino graduated from acting school.

Nicole Kidman

The Australian actress spent her school years in Sydney at a school for girls. The educational institution taught not only the standard program, but also singing and choreography.

Kidman had every chance to finish school with honors. But as a teenager, she was forced to leave the school. The reason was the illness of the mother, who needed care. Nicole never mastered the school curriculum.

Kate Winslet

The actress gained worldwide fame after playing the role of Rose in the legendary film Titanic. As a child, Kate was overweight. Because of this, she was often harassed by her classmates: they called the future actress Bubble. Constant bullying by peers forced the girl to leave school.

Kate never returned to school, but she received an excellent hardening in life, which allowed her to become a successful actress and achieve the recognition of millions.

Angelina Jolie

It's hard to believe, but one of the most beautiful women in the world was considered ugly at school and called Scarecrow. Angelina was distinguished by excessive thinness in her school years. Plus, the girl was tall and had braces on her teeth.

Classmates either bullied Angie or ignored her presence. All this developed complexes in a teenager. Constant psychological stress and stress forced Jolie to stop studying at school.

Pierce Brosnan

The main James Bond of Hollywood was born in Ireland, and at the age of 11 he moved with his family to the capital of Great Britain. Classmates made fun of Pierce because of his pronunciation and called him a “dirty Irishman”.

He listened to Pierce's ridicule for 5 years, and then ran away from school, joining a traveling circus. Later, the actor tried himself in the fashion industry. The actor did not have a desire to return to study.

Johnny Depp

The main dream of little Johnny was a career as a rock musician. For its implementation, Depp did a lot of music, often forgetting about schoolwork. Constant skipping classes and unwillingness to do homework made the future actor one of the most lagging students.

As a result, Depp decided to leave school - it happened at the age of 15. Soon, Johnny graduated from acting classes and now earns $ 50 million a year.

Quentin Tarantino

One of the best Hollywood directors at school also studied for deuces. The reason for this performance is banal - just laziness. The student did not understand why he needed a secondary education and therefore did not even try to delve into the course of the lesson. Soon, Quentin stopped attending classes altogether.

The mother of the future director allowed him to leave school only on the condition that he finds a job. Quentin did not refuse to work: first there was a ticket office, and then a film distribution point. The first job of a young guy predetermined his future fate.

Tom Cruise

In elementary school, this handsome actor was considered mentally retarded. Tom was diagnosed with a developmental disability - dyslexia. Because of this pathology, the boy could not learn to read, write and count.

Cruz changed 15 schools throughout his school life, but in each of them he experienced only bullying from classmates. This forced the teenager to say goodbye to school life. Tom went to serve in the church, and later decided to become an actor.

Jim carrey

The star of American comedies studied diligently, but dropped out due to difficult life circumstances. Jim's parents experienced financial difficulties, so the boy after school was forced to work at the factory for 8 hours a day. With such a schedule, I simply did not have the strength to study.

The student remained in the 10th grade three times, after which he decided to stop studying at school.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony was diagnosed with the same diagnosis as Tom Cruise - dyslexia. In those days, no one heard about this disease, so the boy was called underdeveloped. Hopkins was only good at playing the piano, but that didn't help him finish school.

Actors have always been role models for many. We can only learn from them purposefulness and self-confidence.

Today - one of the most successful and highly paid actors in Hollywood. He has almost everything - there is only a diploma of higher education. And not only him. We offer a look at people who, in order to achieve fame and take place in the profession, had to “sacrifice” their school education.

(Total 20 photos)

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1. Johnny Depp was expelled from school when he was 15. At the age of 16, he completely abandoned school studies and took up music and film work.

2. One of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, Nicole Kidman, was forced to drop out of school due to a serious illness of her mother. To support her family, she had to work as a masseuse, but she continued to study art and work in the theater. Nicole Kidman first appeared on television when she was only 15 years old.

3. John Travolta left school at the age of 16 so that schoolwork would not interfere with his modeling and acting studies.

4. Oscar winner for her role in the movie "Monster" Charlize Theron left school when she was 16. On the advice of her mother, she took part in a modeling competition. After winning the first competition, Charlize Theron participated and won several more competitions until she signed a lucrative contract with a modeling agency in Milan.

5. The beginning of the career of one of the highest paid comedians in Hollywood, Jim Carrey, was very difficult. The family was constantly short of money, for some time they were even forced to live in a camper, and his first performance at a comedy club was a failure. I had to drop out of school to go to work in a steel mill.

6. Sir Michael Caine was nominated for an Oscar every decade from 1960 to 2000. He studied very poorly at school and left it when he was 15. At first, his acting career was also difficult. The actor received real recognition only after 30 years.

7. Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and three Golden Globe winner Cher left school at the age of 15. Due to dyslexia, school studies were given to her with great difficulty, but music and acting classes did not cause difficulties.

8. Three-time Oscar-nominated Australian actor Russell Crowe left school at the age of 15 to devote more time to music and acting to help support his family.

9. Oscar-winning and Golden Globe-winning American actor Robert De Niro made his stage debut at the age of 10, playing the Cowardly Lion in a school production of The Wizard of Oz. True, he never finished school, leaving it at the age of 16 to professionally engage in acting.

11. The star of the films "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" Uma Thurman also left school at the age of 15 to devote herself entirely to studying acting.

12. American actor and director Al Pacino studied very poorly at school, and at the age of 17, after he "failed" almost all the exams, he was expelled. Because of this, he quarreled with his mother and was forced to work in various low-paying jobs in order to raise money for an acting education.

13. One of the highest paid American television actors, Charlie Sheen, was expelled from school for poor academic performance and poor discipline right before graduation.

14. Australian actress, Oscar nominee Toni Collette left school at the age of 16 and entered the theater institute.

15. Actress and TV presenter Whoopi Goldberg experienced great difficulties at school due to dyslexia, and at the age of 16 she finally abandoned her studies. In the late 1960s, she left home to live with hippies, then had a difficult struggle with drug addiction and many hard and low-paid jobs, until Whoopi Goldberg managed to get a job in the theater in 1974.

September 23, 2013, 00:23

Amancio Ortega

Founder of Inditex

Wealth: $57 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 3

Spanish entrepreneur Amancio Ortega is a member of the Forbes ranking of the richest people in the world. He entered the top three richest people on the planet after his fortune grew by $19.5 billion in 2013. The current owner of the Zara brands, Massimo Dutti, Oysho dropped out of school at the age of 13. His father worked on the railroad, his mother was a servant, and the family was sorely lacking money.

At first, Ortega served as a messenger for a tailor, then got a job in a haberdashery store La Maja. Gradually learning the basics of fashion, Ortega realized that the luxury clothing market is too small, and a simple guy from the slums is unlikely to become a big player in it.

The future billionaire decided to bet on affordability: he bought inexpensive materials and sewed things that almost everyone could afford to buy. Entrepreneurial flair and hard work were more important than education: in 1975, Ortega and his wife opened the first Zara store - and soon their income began to skyrocket.

Li Ka-shing

Head of Cheung Kong Group

Wealth: $31 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 8

One of the richest people in Asia was born into a poor teacher's family. When Li Ka-shing was barely 14 years old, his father died of tuberculosis, and the boy had to drop out of school and find a job. At first he sold watch straps, and then got a job at a factory that produced plastic flowers.

Li Ka-shing worked 16-hour days and accumulated a small start-up capital in seven years. Enough money to open a plastic factory. With the proceeds from it, Li Ka-shing began to buy real estate in Hong Kong that had fallen in price against the backdrop of political instability. He soon entered the first echelon of Chinese businessmen. The charitable foundation founded by this Chinese donates millions of dollars to support educational institutions, although Li Ka-shing himself was able to become a billionaire without a formal education.

François Pinault

CEO of Kering

Wealth: $15 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 53

One day, Francois Pinault admitted that his only certificate of study was a driver's license. The French billionaire left school at the age of 16 and no longer thought about continuing his education.

Pino's father, a poor timber merchant, was ready to part with the last franc, if only his son received a diploma. However, Francois did not appreciate this sacrifice. First, he didn't like studying very much. Secondly, he suffered deeply from the ridicule of his classmates over his low origin. Thirdly, even then he understood that no school could instill an entrepreneurial spirit in him. Following his principles, Pinault became one of the most influential people in France.

Richard Branson

Owner of the Virgin Group Corporation

Wealth: $4.6 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 272

Richard Branson has so many outrageous antics on his account that the absence of a completed secondary education against their background seems like a trifle. He was expelled from school at the age of 16 for poor performance. Bad grades Branson was inclined to explain not by laziness, but by dyslexia - a violation of the ability to read. He made no effort to overcome this illness, and was not particularly upset when the headmaster admonished him with the words: “Farewell, Richard. You will either go to jail or become fabulously rich.”

By that time, Branson already had some entrepreneurial experience: he tried to grow Christmas trees and breed budgerigars for sale. While his classmates pored over textbooks, Branson developed his first large-scale project - the youth magazine Student.

Joe Lewis

Founder of Tavistock Group

Wealth: $4.2 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 308

Briton Joe Lewis grew up in east London, in an apartment above a bustling pub. His father owned a small catering company and when his son was 15 years old, he decided to take him into business. So Joe Lewis dropped his books and put on a waiter's apron. Subsequently, having received the reins of government in his hands, the entrepreneur sold the family business and switched to foreign exchange transactions and investment.

Today, Lewis owns more than 150 companies and owns 135 restaurants and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The lack of education does not prevent the rich man from being well versed in art: he has amassed an impressive collection of paintings, which includes paintings by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. According to experts, its cost is about a billion dollars.

Kirk Kerkorian

President Tracinda Corporation

Wealth: $3.3 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 412

Kirk Kerkorian, an American of Armenian descent, dropped out of school when he was in the eighth grade. At the suggestion of his older brother, he began to actively engage in boxing and seriously dreamed of becoming an athlete. However, Kerkorian did not have a long romance with professional sports: on the eve of World War II, he became interested in aviation and joined the Royal Air Force. Then it was no longer up to education, but after returning from the front, even more so.

The future billionaire bought a small airline and plunged headlong into entrepreneurship. Now Kirk Kerkorian is 96 years old, he is the proud title of "King of Las Vegas" and is still interested in boxing - already as a spectator.

David Murdoch

Head of Dole Food Company,

Wealth: $2.4 billion

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 613

Although David Murdoch runs the world's largest fruit and vegetable company, his first job was not in the food industry. Leaving school in the ninth grade, he went to work at a gas station, and in 1943 enlisted in the US Army. When Murdoch decided to settle in Detroit, Ohio after the war, he had neither a roof over his head nor a penny in his pocket.

The future billionaire could well have ended his life in the gutter if he had not met a good Samaritan who took pity on the front-line soldier and agreed to lend him some money. Murdoch bought a small diner, and 10 months later he sold it at a significantly better price and confidently embarked on the path of real estate trading. He learned mathematics by calculating profits from a booming business.

Carl Lindner

Founder of American Financial Group, head of Uninted Dairy Farmers

Wealth: $1.7 billion (as of 2010)

Place on the Forbes Billionaire List: 582

Karl Lindner's childhood was at the height of the Great Depression in the United States. His parents owned a small dairy farm and thanks to this they were able to feed their family in such difficult conditions. However, they needed help, and fourteen-year-old Karl dropped out of school to drive milk tanks.

In 1940, with the US almost out of the economic crisis, Lindner, along with two brothers and sister, took out a $1,200 loan and opened a tiny shop selling homemade ice cream. A humble beginning grew into the United Dairy Farmers chain; today it has about 200 grocery stores throughout the country. And although Lindner made most of his fortune on investments, it was the family business that served as the impetus for his career.

Ahmet Nazif Zorlu

Owner of Zorlu holding company

Wealth: $1.4 billion

Place in the list of Forbes billionaires: 1031

Turkish entrepreneur Ahmet Nazif Zorlu left school when he was 15 years old. Brother Zeki suggested that Zorl take up a more useful and profitable business. After conferring, the brothers decided to try to get rich in the production of textiles and opened a small factory in the city of Denizli.

A few years later they moved to Istanbul, and by the early 1990s, the company under the leadership of Ahmet Nazif Zorlu had become one of the largest players in the global polyester fiber market. Today, the textile tycoon builds wind farms in Palestine, travels in his own custom-designed helicopter, and has no regrets about choosing entrepreneurship instead of education.

James Clark

Founder of Netscape Communications

Wealth: $1.1 billion

Place in the list of Forbes billionaires: 1268

The American James Clark did not have a relationship with the school due to turmoil in the family: his parents either converged or diverged, and the children were actually left to their own devices. As a result, young Jim was first suspended from school, and then completely expelled. However, unlike most ignorant billionaires, Clark did not accept this.

Having entered the service in the Navy, he found himself surrounded by people who, at the age of 25, do not know how much twice two will be. The young man hastily enrolled in evening courses at the private Tulane University, and later was able to enter the University of New Orleans. The management of the university went to meet a capable student, despite the fact that he did not have a high school diploma. Later, Clark even received a degree and became a Silicon Valley legend.