World's 4th-richest person Jeff Bezos says Zuckerberg and Gates are exceptions to the college dropout success narrative

In a recent interview at Italian Tech Week, Bezos explained that while it is "possible" to succeed as an entrepreneur without a degree, such instances are rare, Fortune reported.

"That would always be my advice: I finished college, and I enjoyed college," Bezos said. "I think it’s been helpful to me."

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 12, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by AP

Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004 from his Harvard University dorm room, later dropping out to focus on the company. Gates also left Harvard in 1975 to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen. Both were just 19 years old when they launched their respective companies. Today, Zuckerberg is the third-wealthiest person globally with a net worth of $244.3 billion, while Gates ranks 17th with $106 billion, according to Forbes.

Bezos, the fourth-richest with a $234 billion net worth, graduated from Princeton University in 1986 with an engineering degree. He did not launch Amazon until 1994, at age 30, after gaining nearly a decade of work experience.

Bezos said his "extra 10 years of experience actually improved the odds that Amazon would succeed." Today, Amazon boasts a $2.33 trillion market cap. Advising young people, Bezos suggested working at a successful company first to increase the chances of future success.

"I always advise to young people: Go work at a best-practices company somewhere where you can learn a lot of basic fundamental things [like] how to hire really well, how to interview, etc.," he said.

"There’s a lot of stuff you would learn in a great company that will help you, and then there’s still lots of time to start a company after you have absorbed it."

Even Gates, who dropped out of Harvard, opposed the idea when his youngest daughter, Phoebe Gates, considered quitting college to start a business, according to Business Insider.

"They were very much like, 'You need to finish your degree; you don't just get to like drop out and do a company.’" Phoebe shared. "Which is so funny because my dad literally did that, and that's, like, the reason I'm able to go to Stanford or have my tuition paid."