A huge part of the Facebook origin story is that Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard University to launch the company. This is weirdly compelling, and has probably inspired heaps of other people to make the same move, in pursuit of their own entrepreneurial ambitions.
But Zuck won’t be a college dropout for much longer. Twelve years after he left Harvard for Palo Alto, he’s going back to school, where he’ll give the commencement address for the class of 2017, and be presented with a honorary degree.
“Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership has profoundly altered the nature of social engagement worldwide. Few inventions in modern times can rival Facebook in its far-reaching impact on how people around the globe interact with one another,” said Harvard President Drew Faust. “And few individuals can rival Mark Zuckerberg in his drive to change our world through the innovative use of technology, as well as his commitment to advance science, enhance education, and expand opportunity through the pursuit of philanthropy.
Mark Zuckerberg isn’t the only person to find success after leaving university prematurely. Both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are notable dropouts, and Paypal-founder Peter Thiel is known for the Thiel fellowship, which offers bright young people $100,000 to leave their studies and work on a startup.
