Meet the kids who were paid to drop out

By: 60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics: Overtime Original

If you're considering dropping out of school, here are five kids you should meet. These drop outs aren't stoners, slackers, or malcontents. These ambitious kids dropped out of colleges like Harvard and Princeton to pursue their own interests and dreams of entrepreneurship. And venture capitalist Peter Thiel, profiled by 60 Minutes this week, is paying them to do it!

What do you think? Are these drop-outs getting short-changed by missing their formative college years? Or do you think they have a chance at the Zuckerberg-style success?

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by sixty-fan May 22, 2012 9:48 AM EDT: There are only so many jobs that require a college degree.
So if colleges turn out 2 graduates for every one of these jobs then there will be many college grads flipping burgers.; Reply to this comment


by nevada3 May 21, 2012 10:29 PM EDT: I totally agree with Mr Theil and have quit frankly been saying this for years. When my oldest son was attending college he kept saying that this is all about money and influencing political views. This has nothing to do with real life. In many ways college extends childhood and dependence.

Over the years I have come to believe that education is not for everyone. I believe that there are many ways to gain an education and like Mr Theil I think a traditional education is for the academic or someone who needs a license, etc to practice. There are many Americans whom are a success without an academic education. In fact I think the corporate world better take notice and not eliminate candidates based souly on a lack for traditional education.

I believe that our young people are self educating via the web and are highly intelligent and capable of great things. The higher educational system needs to revamp and provide real world skills and let's face it the money expended is ridiculous with no job guarantee.; Reply to this comment


by victoriaengland May 21, 2012 12:13 AM EDT: curious where my comment is?; Reply to this comment


by victoriaengland May 21, 2012 12:12 AM EDT: I know this is true. And this country allows us to be whatever we want to be. And you either have it or you don't to make it on your own idea. There will always be naysayers....they try to talk you out of everything, those are not of an entrepreneurial mind. Not every person is an entrepreneur, and some will never be. We will always need education, but for those who are truly entrepreneurial we need to stop putting wealth down as those who made it did not always have a silver spoon in their mouth but a driven force within to make it not matter what. It takes gumption, belief in yourself and your idea, hard work, not willing to give up no matter what, tremendous patience and persistence. Our country and elsewhere were built on those who had an idea and went for it. And those who failed over and over, know it is a part of being an entrepreneur. Many of our famous people throughout history were school drop outs or didn't have the chance at college. I am a school drop out and helped build two ideas that ended up doing very well. One made about 6 million+, the other one is on its way. I started from nothing, my dad died when I was 10, my mother was deaf, and struggled as a widow, however, she always had faith in whatever we wanted to do. My only regret, she died just about the time she should have been a part of it. I say, go for your dreams no matter what they are...get up, do whatever it takes and in this country you can make it; higher education or not.; Reply to this comment


by victoriaengland May 21, 2012 12:09 AM EDT: I know this is true. And this country allows us to be whatever we want to be. And you either have it or you don't to make it on your own idea. There will always be naysayers....they try to talk you out of everything, those are not of an entrepreneurial mind. Not every person is an entrepreneur, and some will never be. We will always need education, but for those who are truly entrepreneurial we need to stop putting wealth down as those who made it did not always have a silver spoon in their mouth but a driven force within to make it not matter what. It takes gumption, belief in yourself and your idea, hard work, not willing to give up no matter what, tremendous patience and persistence. Our country and elsewhere were built on those who had an idea and went for it. And those who failed over and over, know it is a part of being an entrepreneur. Many of our famous people throughout history were school drop outs or didn't have the chance at college. I am a school drop out and helped build two ideas that ended up doing very well. One made about 6 million+, the other one is on its way. I started from nothing, my dad died when I was 10, my mother was deaf, and struggled as a widow, however, she always had faith in whatever we wanted to do. My only regret, she died just about the time she should have been a part of it. I say, go for your dreams no matter what they are...get up, do whatever it takes and in this country you can make it; higher education or not.; Reply to this comment


by kcull1946 May 20, 2012 10:41 PM EDT: How many will have $100K in their pocket AND how many will eventually go back to college? Mr. Theil is a dreamer and shoud pursue HIS dreams and not encourage young people to forego college.; Reply to this comment


by willis77019 May 20, 2012 9:27 PM EDT: So ... being brilliant, having a great idea for a product to develop, and $100k in your pocket is better than being an average Joe, dead broke, with liberal arts degree on the wall ... duh!; Reply to this comment


by willis77019 May 20, 2012 9:24 PM EDT: So ... being brilliant, having a great idea for a product to develop, and $100k in your pocket is better than being an average Joe, dead broke, with liberal arts degree on the wall ... duh!; Reply to this comment


by sallychicago May 20, 2012 8:24 PM EDT: My experience is that these type of people will eventually go back and complete college. Maybe not in their youth, but as they get older.; Reply to this comment

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