Venture capitalist Peter Thiel will give you $200,000. He only asks that you have a great idea and fully commit to it—and the $26 billion tech entrepreneur thinks the only way for young, aspiring entrepreneurs to go all-in is by dropping out of college.
These ex-fellows prove that dropping out can result in serious success.
Aside from an eye-popping net worth, Field said that the fellowship gave him something far more valuable than what a college degree would provide—uninterrupted time to focus entirely on building his idea. With time and mentorship, they send you off: “Go build something amazing,” Field said in that same 2012 interview. And he did.
Silicon Valley has always idolized the high-achieving college dropout, from Mark Zuckerberg to Larry Ellison. The fellowship is responsible for the billions in business value its alums have created. Thiel’s blessing gives a startup founder credibility that college just can’t.
