Get All Access for $5/mo

The World's Wealthiest People Went to These Schools Take a look at the background of the biggest billionaires.

By Nina Zipkin

Barry Winiker | Getty Images

What does it take to become a billionaire?

Forbes recently released its annual list of the richest people in the world. The publication noted that there are currently 2,153 billionaires, down 55 from 2018. Of the 250 that made it to the very top, many of the usual suspects -- Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett -- are right where we left them last year.

Website registry platform UK Domain did some research on the world's richest billionaires to identify some common threads among their backgrounds.

Related: 6 Money Tips From Self-Made Billionaires

With regard to education, there were 128 colleges that the 250 richest billionaires attended for undergrad. But the most common college degree for the billionaires was a lack of one -- 17 people on the list dropped out of school. Following dropping out, most billionaires went to Harvard University (seven people), University of Pennsylvania (six people), Yale University (five people) and Sweden's Lund University (five people).

The top three degree subjects were engineering at 22 percent, business at 17.6 percent and economics and finance at 17 percent.

And for something a little more whimsical and will not likely to have a ton of bearing on whether you add nine zeros to your bank account, apparently the top five astrological signs were Libra with 27 billionaires, Pisces with 22, and Cancer, Taurus and Leo all with 20 each.

So if you're an Ivy League graduate with an engineering background that was born in late September/early October, perhaps you too can make the billionaire list someday.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Science & Technology

Why We Shouldn't Fear AI in Education (and How to Use It Effectively)

Facing resistance to new technologies in the educational process is nothing new, and AI is no exception. Yet, this powerful tool is set to overcome these challenges and revolutionize education, preparing students and professionals for a future of unparalleled efficiency and personalized learning.

Business News

Apple's AI Has a Catch — And It Could Help Boost Sales

Not every iPhone owner will get to use the new Apple Intelligence.

Business News

Elon Musk Threatens to Ban Employees from Using Apple Products, Says Will Lock Devices in 'Cages'

The Tesla founder sounded off on X following Apple's 2024 Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday.

Business News

Y Combinator Helped Launch Reddit, Airbnb and Dropbox. Here's What I Learned From Its Free Startup School.

The famed startup accelerator offers a free course on building a business — and answers five pressing questions for founders.

Business Culture

You'll Always Have Anxious Employees if You Don't Follow These 4 Leadership Tactics

Creating a thriving workplace environment hinges on the commitment of company leaders to nurture and inspire their teams.