In the past 30 years, a mere blip on the world calendar, software has become a driving force behind changes in our world today. It has created several billionaires under 50 years old. Who are they and how did they do it? On Forbes Top Billionaires of 2013 you find:
Bill Gates – Microsoft – $67 Billion
Larry Ellison – Oracle – $43 Billion
Jeff Bezos – Amazon.com – $25.2 Billion
Larry Page – Google – $23 Billion
Surgey Brin – Google – $27.7 Billion
Steve Jobs – Apple – $11 Billion may have been on the list had he not passed away in 2011. Others include Mark Elliot Zuckerberg with Facebook netting him an estimated $19 Billion, Bob Parsons with Go Daddy at $1.5 Billion, Sean Parker with Plaxo at $2.1 Billion, Paul Allen with Microsoft at $14.2 Billion. and Michael Dell with Dell Inc. at $15.9 Billion. Another not listed in the Top 20 but you may recognize is Ray Lane, former President and COO of Oracle, with over $1 Billion in net worth upon leaving Oracle. WVU Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering is named after him.
A look at their common beginning may just shed some light on how they managed to reach such astounding accomplishments.
First, they were all young, energetic, and creative. They didn’t realizing their small beginnings could lead to such large dividends today such as Apple starting out in a garage. If you read Steve Job’s bio he actually turned in pop bottles to buy his lunch.
Second, they had a vision. They used technology not the way we do now but the way they believed it could be someday.
Third, they were entrepreneurs. They understood the human need, in many cases it wasn’t a want at the time because the technology didn’t exist. They made the connections, built the market, and let the demand pull them into success.
Finally, they all had an educational foundation in technology. This of course is the lead in to the question, why not give yourself the advantage toward endless possibilities with a Master of Science in Software Engineering from West Virginia University? You can start today to a road to a similar success. What makes you different from those listed above? From my vantage point, nothing.
“The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of West Virginia University.”
Dale
“The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of West Virginia University.”