DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUND

DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUND

There is a growing wave of motivational speakers online pushing a narrative that undermines the value of academics. Their argument is simple: many educated people are not billionaires.

Unfortunately, this one-sided message has led many young people to abandon school, believing education is unnecessary for success.

Young people are inspired by the stories of billionaires who dropped out of school and still became successful. Names like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs, Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, and Elon Musk.

They hear these names and say:

“If they dropped out and became billionaires, maybe I can too.”

But listen carefully: don’t play games with people whose background is different from yours. You admire the outcome, but you don’t understand their foundation.

Before you blindly follow their path, ask yourself:

1. Who are your parents?
2. Do they have assets?
3. Are they divorced or together?
4. Where do you live—Ajegunle in Nigeria, or Silicon Valley in the United States?
5. Can your environment support what you are trying to become?

Let us examine the real stories behind these so-called “dropout billionaires.”

THE BILLIONAIRES YOU QUOTE – WHAT YOU DON’T SEE

1. Bill Gates (Founder of Microsoft, USA)

1. Dropped out of Harvard University.
2. Father was a wealthy lawyer; mother sat on the board of IBM.
3. Had early access to computers in the 1970s, decades ahead of others.
4. Hidden truth: He had financial backing, elite education, and powerful connections.

2. Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook, USA)

1. Dropped out of Harvard University.
2. Came from a wealthy, well-educated family—father a dentist, mother a psychiatrist.
3. Trained in programming as a teenager and had mentorship.
4. Hidden truth: He dropped out after Facebook had already gained traction and secured investors.

3. Steve Jobs (Co-founder of Apple, USA)

1. Dropped out of Reed College.
2. Raised by a middle-class family in Silicon Valley.
3. Surrounded by innovators and partners like Steve Wozniak.
4. Hidden truth: He was in the right place, with the right people, at the right time.

4. Aliko Dangote (Africa’s richest man, Nigeria)

1. Did not finish university in Cairo, Egypt.
2. Came from a wealthy trading family in Kano.
3. Received a large loan from his grandfather, Sanusi Dantata, to start business.
4. Hidden truth: He had capital, mentorship, and generational wealth.

5. Elon Musk (Founder of Tesla and SpaceX, USA)

1. Dropped out of Stanford’s PhD program after two days.
2. Raised in a wealthy South African family; his father once owned an emerald mine.
3. Already sold a startup (Zip2) for $300 million before launching Tesla.
4. Hidden truth: He dropped out to scale an already successful idea—with cash in hand.

6. Femi Otedola (Chairman, Geregu Power, Nigeria)

1. Came from privilege; his father, Michael Otedola, was a former governor of Lagos State.
2. Had political access, strong business connections, and financial leverage.
3. Hidden truth: He did not rise by struggle alone—he had a foundation others don’t.

HERE’S THE WISDOM

Don’t just look at their success, look at their support system.

If you come from a background where:

1. Your parents are hustling to pay rent,
2. You live in a low-income neighborhood,
3. There is no family business or mentor to back you,

Then do not copy their risks. You may end up suffering for nothing.

BIBLICAL INSIGHT

Consider Solomon in the Bible. He didn’t fight wars. He didn’t start from scratch. His father, David:

1. Fought the enemies,
2. Built alliances,
3. Stored gold and silver for the temple,
4. Secured the throne for Solomon.

Solomon simply maximized his season because his father arranged everything.

So, ask yourself:

Has someone arranged your season? Or are you starting from scratch?

REALITY CHECK

Do not drop out of school or make reckless decisions because someone else did. Success is not magic. It is a product of:

1. Background
2. Strategy
3. Support
4. Timing
5. Environment

WISE COUNSEL

Play your own game. Build your own path. Respect your journey.

“Don’t play games with people who are not playing from your level.”

You are not less than anyone, but your strategy must match your situation.

Stay in school. Learn a skill. Grow in faith. Build with wisdom. Take bold steps not foolish ones.

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