“Elon Musk is the richest person in the world who didn't finish high school.”

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes real-time list frequently rank Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault as the two wealthiest people in the world. On this real-time tracker, Elon Musk is listed at or near the top, with his net worth largely driven by his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX. The list shows Musk’s current net worth and rank among global billionaires, but it does not state that he failed to complete high school.

Musk was born to a South African father and a Canadian mother. He attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and in 1992 he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he received bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics in 1997. In 1995 he moved to California to attend graduate school in physics at Stanford University but left after only two days.

Education: Bachelor of Arts/Science, University of Pennsylvania. Elon Musk attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, and then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned dual bachelor's degrees in physics and economics. Although he later dropped out of a Ph.D. program at Stanford, he did complete his undergraduate studies.

Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, to a South African father and a Canadian mother. Musk attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and in 1992 he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. There he received bachelor’s degrees in physics and economics. In 1995 he moved to California to attend graduate school in physics at Stanford University. However, he left after only two days.

Musk’s move to Canada coincided with his enrollment in Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He studied there for two years before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. He graduated five years later with bachelor’s degrees in economics and physics. Musk then headed to Stanford University to pursue a doctorate in energy physics. However, his relocation to California was timed perfectly with the internet boom, and he dropped out of Stanford after just two days.

After studying for two years at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Musk relocated to the United States to pursue business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania, from which he received separate bachelor's degrees in each subject. Following his graduation from that institution, Musk relocated to Silicon Valley, California. Originally, the reason for the relocation was to earn a doctorate degree in applied physics and materials science from Stanford University, but Musk participated in that program for only a few days before leaving it.

Entrepreneurs like Richard Branson and rapper Jay-Z have two things in common: Both are wildly successful billionaires, and both never graduated from high school. Jay-Z attended the George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School but never graduated. Richard Branson dropped out of high school when he was only 16 after struggling with dyslexia.

Today, Elon Musk is America’s most-educated billionaire. He studied for seven years, has two degrees, and is currently the world’s richest person. Although Musk enrolled in a PhD program in applied physics and materials science at Stanford University, he left after just two days to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

The article summarizes: “Elon Musk attended Queen’s University in Canada before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania… He earned two bachelor's degrees: one in Physics and one in Economics (Wharton)… In 1995, Musk was accepted into a Ph.D. program in applied physics and materials science at Stanford University. But here’s the twist: he dropped out after just two days… No. Musk has no advanced degrees, although he was briefly enrolled in a Stanford Ph.D. program. He studied Physics and Economics, earning dual degrees from UPenn.” The piece repeatedly emphasizes that Musk holds undergraduate degrees and does not suggest that he failed to complete high school.

The biography states: “After attending Bryanston High School in Johannesburg for eighth and ninth grades, he transferred to Pretoria Boys High School, from which he graduated in 1988. In 1992, after spending two years at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Elon Musk moved from Canada to the United States to study business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in economics from The Wharton School and a degree in physics from the University of Pennsylvania School of Arts and Sciences.” This explicitly says he graduated from high school and later university.

The list includes John D. Rockefeller, Amancio Ortega, and Richard Branson, among others, as examples of billionaires who either left school very early or did not graduate from high school. For instance, Amancio Ortega left school around the age of 14, and Richard Branson struggled with dyslexia and dropped out of school when he was 16.

Elon Musk attended Pretoria Boys High School and graduated in 1988. Musk moved to the United States in 1992 to study business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania. He earned an undergraduate degree in economics before continuing on to earn a second bachelor's degree in physics. But that Ph.D couldn’t make it to Elon Musk degrees since he walked out of Stanford after only two days to start his first firm.

Engoo’s lesson quotes Musk: “He added, ‘Don't care if you even graduated high school.’ This is not the first time Musk has said that finishing high school isn't necessary to work for Tesla.” The piece is discussing hiring policies and Musk’s opinions; it does not state that Musk himself failed to finish high school, only that he does not require it for some roles at his companies.

Richard Branson struggled in school due to dyslexia, and at 16, he dropped out. Shawn Carter, better known as Jay-Z, never graduated from high school. Instead, he poured his energy into music, eventually becoming one of the most successful rappers in history.

Public billionaire rankings in 2024–2026 consistently show Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, and Jeff Bezos alternating in the top positions with net worths typically well above $150 billion. High-school-dropout billionaires such as Richard Branson, Jay-Z, Amancio Ortega, and others are wealthy but their net worth estimates are generally far below Musk’s, often in the tens of billions or lower, according to major rich lists.

ITS Education Asia reports on Musk’s comments about degrees: “'A PhD is definitely not required. I don't care if you even graduated high school,' Musk said on Twitter on Feb. 2.” The article discusses his stance that formal degrees are not necessary for employment at Tesla, but it does not claim that Musk personally did not graduate from high school.

Richard Branson dropped out of high school because his dyslexia prevented him from keeping up with his studies. The article profiles several billionaires who do not have formal diplomas, highlighting that some very wealthy individuals never finished high school.

The article incorrectly states that Musk "then attended Stanford University, where he earned his Master of Business Administration degree (1998) and PhD in business administration (2002)." This conflicts with multiple reputable biographies and Musk’s own accounts, which say he left a PhD program at Stanford after a few days and did not complete those degrees. The piece still describes Musk as having studied physics and economics at the University of Pennsylvania, indicating he progressed beyond high school and into university education.