For some, diplomas are (barely) worth the paper they're printed on. These star entrepreneurs jumped right in.

While the rest of us were negotiating curfews and cramming for the SATs, some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs ditched high school to start building their fortunes.

Many did it out of necessity; others had a mentor (or at least a backer looking to piggyback on their success). All, however, had a demon drive to build something of their own. Even at a young age, that commitment and passion can win over investors.

"Investors really look at the person and the quality of his or her idea more than their experience,” says Brad Burke, managing director of Rice University's Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, which incubates new companies.

For all the new entrepreneurship programs popping up at business schools, there will always be a slew of born entrepreneurs who prove that high school diplomas, let alone fancy graduate degrees, might well be (barely) worth the paper they're printed on.

This high-school dropout grew up in one of Brooklyn’s roughest housing projects, dealing drugs before finding salvation in hip hop. In 1995 Carter took his first single to Def Jam Records, the company he ended up running from 2004 until 2007.
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In 2008 he signed a 10-year, $150 million deal with Live Nation ( LYV - news - people ) that gave him control over his records, tours and endorsement deals with companies like Dell ( DELL - news - people ) and Budweiser.
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