Comments on: 7 Highly Successful High School Dropouts

By: TalkAboutEverything

TalkAboutEverything — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:30:25 +0000

I Dropped outta high school no diploma game sleepin on me imma wake em up from they coma I don’t drink but smoke alotta weed yeah you got yo g.e.d. so do you think you’re better than me? Let’s just agree to disagree. I really don’t think I need a education I’m doin fine money til the next generation and all I had was a lil imagination you don’t need school tell them haters stop hatten

By: TalkAboutEverything

TalkAboutEverything — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:19:33 +0000

Dropped outta school no I don’t have my diploma game sleepin on me I’m gonna wake it up from it com

By: dead+eye

dead+eye — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 09:21:32 +0000

trying to say a person is no better because he has
no diploma or education is like comparing lamborghini to
junk because it have no gas or a computer system that cost 5000.00$ just because it dose int have software
,if you want to make them a better person then put the
knowledge in to them and stop complaining about it

By: nette

nette — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:19:56 +0000

oh and I dropped out of hs in 10th grade and when i wrkd and wasnt a stay at home mom i made more money then he did

By: nette

nette — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:19:03 +0000

My ex-husband has a hs diploma and a degree and he has never used it but it sure is pretty hanging on the wall while he tries to pay that debt off

By: yesIamadropout

yesIamadropout — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:21:21 +0000

I like articles like this that prove that a HS education is not a determining factor if someone can do a job! I dropped out of HS in grade 12, dumbest move I ever made…. but 1) it has not hindered me one bit and does not dictate if i can do a job or not… it just means that I don’t have a piece of paper. 2) I have kids in high school…. the curriculum is WAY different then it was back then! so what good is a hs diploma going to do me in todays market? I have college education and some university education (education I got WITHOUT requiring a hs diploma)… so wouldn’t college courses trump a HS diploma??

Besides I am 37, with a college education if I was 21 with no HS diploma I could see this being an issue. But, I learnt more in the real world then I EVER did listening to HS teachers droan on!

Our society needs to start looking at what people can learn on the job not what an expensive piece of paper can do for thier companies.

To the dipstick above, I was a drop out and I, before being laid off because of a crappy economy was making $30.00 an hour!! that is hardly making ends meet!! more then that person with a 4 year Arts degree and working at McDonalds!!!

By: A

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:46:54 +0000

I am a HS drop out Decided not to go to college and I am a professional photographer and graphic designer. I work for companies like Nike among others and I work along side people with masters degrees and such. Just remember knowledge without mileage is bullshit.

You can do what ever you put your mind to……

P.s. I hope spending $60,000.00 education was worth it. To bad you most likely slang coffee for a living. Hmmm how many people do I know in that boat…..

By: Alec

Alec — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:19:28 +0000

Listen a fact is a fact, look at the people who dropped out of high school whom lead these good lives. None of them are doctors, lawyers, teachers, engineers and any other college required jobs. If you want to pursue a job that requires a skill that can’t be accomplished by reading a english book or getting an A in a Chemistry class. For what they do its worthless, its not about the education you have that makes you big its what is required to do that job which frankly a lot of jobs don’t require high level math, science, history, etc.

By: Bryanna

Bryanna — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:22:37 +0000

These were amazing people to begin with, with motivation for success despite their lack of education—they were/are brilliant at what they do.

By: symptoms cancer

symptoms cancer — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:48:52 +0000

A good post, very helpful information

By: connie

connie — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:54:06 +0000

loved this article i like my self a little more , and i am sure that i am not the only one. in and of it self dropping out is not the best thing a person can do,yet there is hope if one has done so. super cool.

By: Mary444

Mary444 — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:17:52 +0000

You’re WELCOME, James R.

By: Nealio

Nealio — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:35:24 +0000

Look: If you don’t have any particular theatrical, dance, athletic or otherwise creative talents, you might as well get that degree (and then on to law school).

On the other hand, if you can’t otherwise access high-tech gene-splicing equipment or set up massive radio telescope arrays in your back yard, then you should consider colluj or university.

By: Andrea Sgarabully

Andrea Sgarabully — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:59:58 +0000

PULEEZE!!! WHERE IS STEVEN PAUL JOBS!??!

By: James R.

James R. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:44:38 +0000

Mary444, Wonderful post!

Thank you.

By: Mary444

Mary444 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:38:14 +0000

By the time I was done with high school, I was TIRED and BURNT OUT, and had nothing to show for it. Then, I went to college, hung in there 7 years to graduate, and ten years later, I am an unemployed waitress. I could have kept my waitressing job, but for the first time, I am stepping out and exploring new things. I wish I’d learned sooner not to do what I was told, to know that listening to other people and being a good girl would only lead to many years of depression and unproductivity. It is only now that I am 35 years old that I am BEGINNING to turn this ship around and listen to myself, and I am STILL broke, but the happiest I have EVER been. Everyone has his or her own path. In THIS country, if you ever really WANT to go back to school, you CAN. Not everyone will use the, “Oh, but I have kids now,” or something similar excuse either. I’m upset now that I DON’T have kids because I took so long to grow up living in the fairy tale land that is school for so long, learning that following someone ELSE’s formula (Me + School = a Happy Life) would work for me. Well it didn’t.

By: Nice thought, however...

Nice thought, however... — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:32:32 +0000

Also, you might want to reconsider using Wikipedia as one of only two references.

By: Nice thought, however...

Nice thought, however... — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 06:19:52 +0000

Although it is inspirational that these people have become so successful despite a lack of education, it seems foolhardy to post articles that romanticize dropping out of high school–especially when you open the article with a statement that suggests you are debunking the “common belief” that high school dropouts can’t be successful. Of course high school dropouts can be successful; the people you list are millionaires. However, these sorts of stories are rare, and it should be stressed that the vast majority of people will be more successful if they graduate from high school.

By: KQ

KQ — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:58:44 +0000

:”Dave decided that he didn’t want to set a bad example for any youngsters out there, so he enrolled at Coconut Creek High School and earned his GED”. Way to go. Although some people can be successful w/o education. This is not the case for most people. Only very few. Get an education!

By: Bob Franke

Bob Franke — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:56:40 +0000

Yes Mr. D, it’s too bad George Eastman was not around to have seen that Kodak became one of the leaders in developing the CCD sensor for photography. Their chips are used in both consumer products and research equipment… such as cameras for astronomy. My astronomy camera uses a Kodak chip.

By: James R.

James R. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:56:40 +0000

A college grad does not financially catch up to a high-school grad is what I meant****

Sorry for the typo.

Cheers~

By: William L.

William L. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:55:01 +0000

Oh and by the way Jim Woitas, there are many many many great business men who dropped out of high school as well, so quit fooling yourself… I can name more than 10 hedge fund managers with net worth’s in the hundreds of millions who did not graduate high school and I am sure their plenty of other leaders in other industries who did not graduate high school

By: Kevin Burkee

Kevin Burkee — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:54:31 +0000

Smart is smart, no matter how you slice it. A degree does not necessarily make you smarter, just creative at finding an opportunity to party another 4 years, before reality sets in.

English majors; was the above a run on sentence? If so, why?

Now support your conclusion to the question above.

Now let us all know what impact that has on the world.

By: James R.

James R. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:53:57 +0000

Whoever doesn’t agree with what I said then you’re just another puppet in society. The goverment needs workers so you can do their work so they pay you the least amount of money possible just to keep you in position.
At the same time, the goverment NEEDS doctors, nurses to “vaccinate” people by injecting toxic into their body so they can depopulate the world to have easier control over it.

#1: Is a college degree worth the cost? If you can afford it without falling into deep debt then yes. It doesn’t guarantee you a job specially in a recession but It depends on what you want to do.

PROOF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0xphr57PZ0&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-GRAF7ESlI&feature=related

#2: A college degree is NOT worth a MILLION dollars. It is the biggest brainwashing lie in America.
If you have a college degree VS a high school diploma you’ll make a million more? FALSE. It’s actually about $450,000 because you have to subtract the cost of the degree from the pay-off and income tax, and interest on the debt. A college grad does not financially catch up to a college grad until the age of 33 and by the age of 40, the pay-off for college is only about 100,000. So the pay-off is only in your 40s and 50s, not so much in your 20s and 40s.

PROOF: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBBs4ZElzPI&feature=channel

WAKE UP PEOPLE! YOU ARE BEING BRAINWASHED.

Knowledge is POWER.

By: William L.

William L. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:48:34 +0000

That just proves it is not what you know, but what you want and how bad you want it

By: antares

antares — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:43:41 +0000

John Travolta, James Spader, Rene Russo — all high school dropouts. Stephen Spielberg returned to college in the 1990s to finish his degree. As I recall, Thomas Edison did not finish high school. Nor did Henry Ford.
The passion and the dream make the difference.

By: Eve

Eve — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:43:34 +0000

Nice article.

By: spike78620

spike78620 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:31:41 +0000

Mr.D Have you noticed how good the Kodak digital cameras are you a**? The company learned to evolve with the times but you are obviously stuck in the past.

By: monsor

monsor — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:25:49 +0000

On the other hand, how many successful people out there have earned a high school diploma? And how many are “failures” because they did not finished high school?

By: James R.

James R. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:24:13 +0000

I highly agree with Thesmartestbookshelf(30), Cindy, Harold, Rena(36) Strickler, Shel(38) and
Opinionsmatter(31)

Apply the knowledge you have and maximize it.

“Its nice to have that wall paper we call a degree but in my opinion its even better to be productive while doing what you love.”

That’s why It clearly says “HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUTS” meaning they went but left after they knew they could utilize the talent/s they discovered within themselves.

I’m 21, male and hispanic. I dropped out of freshman year in high school. I’m An aspiring rapper, singer and song-writer. Do you think I’m going to stay and continue to finish school when I’m multi-talented?
My saying goes like:
“Just because you went to college doesn’t mean you have more knowledge”
“Just because you have a degree doesn’t mean you make more than me”

We weren’t made to work for the goverment or for ANYONE else. We were made to work for ourselves. EVERYONE in this world has a talent, a specialty, your gift, something you’re really good at. You were born with it.
It’s NEVER too late to discover it. Focus and dedicate yourself to make that discovery that’s hidden within you and use it to your fullest potential.

Utilize it, Maximize it and…

INSPIRE.

By: wait, what?

wait, what? — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:11:11 +0000

gives me hope

By: Edwardo

Edwardo — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:03:46 +0000

Good for these guys.

Everyone in this economy knows its not your skills, and what you know, but who you know and who you bl$*. Talent and education means nothing.

By: Sanaa

Sanaa — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:01:36 +0000

Can you actually tell us how many DIDNT made it after dropping out?

Are you trying to say that, you screw up it all and everything is gonna be ok?

By: Sash

Sash — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:01:32 +0000

“He though the liquid emulsions proved quite a problem as they were excessively sticky”

there is a pretty big mistake in that sentence you should fix.

By: Pat

Pat — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:55:22 +0000

Don’t forget Johnny Depp! And yes, that’s a recent picture of Peter Jackson.

By: joe

joe — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:54:59 +0000

the driven, smart people with common sense and decent people skills will be the successful people

30 grand a year for college or not.

By: George

George — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:44:12 +0000

Kirk Kerkorian the owner of MGM Grand and 37th richest man in the nation droped out of middle school. And yes his net worth is only $7 billion.

By: Abraham Froeman

Abraham Froeman — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:43:36 +0000

Richard Pryor may be the funniest comic of ALL TIME! The guy was an absolute riot!! May he and George Carlin, the true kings of comedy, rest in peace.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:38:52 +0000

Also, Keanu Reeves didn’t graduate from high school. He does not have an oscar, but he is successful and rich. He had a passion for acting, followed it, had the drive to succeed and accomplished it.

Stay in school, but be sure to follow your dream.

By: Jason Smith

Jason Smith — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:37:17 +0000

you guys forgot NaS
possibly one of the most influencial rappers ever
he dropped out in the 8th grade lol

By: ME

ME — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:35:44 +0000

Tarantino’s video store was in Manhattan BEACH – as in California. Not NYC as the story suggests.

By: Victoria

Victoria — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:28:23 +0000

Don’t drop out of school. It is no guarantee that you will be successful. Just find your passion and follow it no matter what anyone else thinks. That is the key.!!

By: Scott H

Scott H — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:26:29 +0000

I dropped out and would like to thank all of you for supporting me (literally)

By: /s

/s — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:22:23 +0000

What drivel. What completely worthless reporting. How many dropouts are struggling to make ends meet out there compared to the ones who made it? Yes, there will be some who will succeed, but these rare gifted individuals would have succeeded anywhere. Why not just suggest that we all become NFL players or lotto ticket winners?

By: andrewandrew

andrewandrew — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:04:32 +0000

i can’t believe yahoo publishes things with so many typos in it. pathetic.

By: knight1192a

knight1192a — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:56:03 +0000

Ok, Jennings is a bit of a surprise considering his occupation as a news anchor. Some of the others I’m not terribly shocked by this, though I might have expected them to be high school graduates at the very least. But Shaw and Eastman! Isn’t this streching things a little. We’re talking folks who went to school in the 19th century, a time when getting a high school diploma would be more like getting a college diploma today. There were far more folks dropping out of high school back then than today, and quite a few became succesful for their time. How about two more modern folks instead?

By: YinDude

YinDude — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:52:06 +0000

If I’m correct, John Travolta could be on here as well.

By: jim woitas

jim woitas — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:49:53 +0000

odd, they’re all creativity ppl, not great bussinessmen, i wonder why?

By: Doug

Doug — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:42:30 +0000

You missed the best of all Walt Disney.

By: Economist

Economist — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 03:42:06 +0000

Actually, I heard that in Winter 2010, Kodak is going to release a new camera with the self-developing film, so digital cameras may have stifled George Eastmens camera, but it hasnt killed it (yet)