Jeff Bezos advises Gen Z founders to get job experience first, citing his own Amazon start at age 30
Many iconic success stories in Big Tech involve founders who left college. Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook from his Harvard dormitory in 2004 before dropping out, and Bill Gates similarly departed Harvard to co-found Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975.
However, Jeff Bezos, who established the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, contends that figures like Zuckerberg and Gates are “exceptions.” He challenges the notion that all major tech firms are started by dropouts or that a university degree has lost its significance.
Bezos acknowledges it is “possible” for an 18, 19, or 20-year-old to leave school and become a standout entrepreneur, but he maintains such cases are atypical.
“I always advise young people: Go work at a company known for its best practices, a place where you can learn fundamental skills like effective hiring and interviewing,” Bezos stated during an appearance at Italian Tech Week last autumn. “A great company teaches you a lot that will be valuable, and there is still ample time to launch your own venture after you’ve absorbed those lessons.”
Choosing employment at an established firm over an immediate startup attempt “increases your odds” of achieving success, he added.
Bezos, currently the world’s second-wealthiest person with a $268 billion net worth, started Amazon at age 30 after roughly ten years in the workforce. In contrast, Gates and Zuckerberg were both 19 when they founded Microsoft and Facebook, respectively. Zuckerberg now ranks as the sixth-richest person globally with $231 billion, while Gates is sixteenth with $118 billion.
Bezos believes that “extra 10 years of experience actually improved the odds that Amazon would succeed.” The retailer’s subsequent growth proves his point, now commanding a massive $2.64 trillion market capitalization.
Beyond his professional experience, Bezos also completed his education. He graduated summa cum laude—the highest academic honor—from Princeton University in 1986, earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
His academic achievements included membership in the Phi Beta Kappa and Tau Beta Pi honor societies, and he served as president of Princeton’s chapter of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. This focus on space later materialized in 2000 with the founding of his aerospace company Blue Origin, which he calls the “most important work” he does. As a private firm, Blue Origin’s valuation is not public, though Bezos has expressed confidence it will become his “most significant legacy.”
“That would always be my advice: I finished college, and I enjoyed college,” Bezos said. “I think it’s been helpful to me.”
Despite this, younger generations increasingly doubt the worth of a college degree. With tuition costs rising and entry-level job opportunities tightening, many are scrutinizing the actual return on investment for higher education. Ford CEO Jim Farley remarked at a recent company event that attending college is no longer a guarantee of success in the corporate world.
“Nothing in the history of Western civilization has gotten more expensive, more quickly,” added Mike Rowe, a longtime advocate for skilled trades. “Not energy, not food, not real estate, not even health care—nothing has seen more inflation than the cost of a four-year degree.”
A version of this story was published on Fortune.com on October 6, 2025.
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