ELLISON TO GRADS: DIPLOMAS ARE FOR LOSERS
Oracle CEO Urges Students to Drop out, Start up

NEW HAVEN, CONN. (SatireWire.com) — In one of the more controversial commencement addresses in memory, Oracle CEO and college dropout Larry Ellison told Yale's Class of 2000 they were "losers" whose hard-won diplomas would never propel them into the ranks of the super rich.


The evangelical Ellison, noting that college dropouts Bill Gates, Paul Allen, and Michael Dell were, like himself, on Forbes' recent top 10 list of billionaires, urged freshmen and sophomores at the ceremony to "drop out and start up," and added that the undereducated Yale security guards who ushered him off stage probably had a better shot at uber-wealth than graduating seniors.

What follows is a transcript of the speech delivered by Ellison at the Yale University last month:

"Graduates of Yale University, I apologize if you have endured this type of prologue before, but I want you to do something for me. Please, take a good look around you. Look at the classmate on your left. Look at the classmate on your right. Now, consider this: five years from now, 10 years from now, even 30 thirty years from now, odds are the person on your left is going to be a loser. The person on your right, meanwhile, will also be a loser. And you, in the middle? What can you expect? Loser. Loserhood. Loser Cum Laude.

"In fact, as I look out before me today, I don't see a thousand hopes for a bright tomorrow. I don't see a thousand future leaders in a thousand industries. I see a thousand losers.

"You're upset. That's understandable. After all, how can I, Lawrence 'Larry' Ellison, college dropout, have the audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation's most prestigious institutions? I'll tell you why. Because I, Lawrence "Larry" Ellison, second richest man on the planet, am a college dropout, and you are not.

"Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet -- for now, anyway -- is a college dropout, and you are not.

"Because Paul Allen, the third richest man on the planet, dropped out of college, and you did not.

"And for good measure, because Michael Dell, No. 9 on the list and moving up fast, is a college dropout, and you, yet again, are not.

"Hmm, you're very upset. That's understandable. So let me stroke your egos for a moment by pointing out, quite sincerely, that your diplomas were not attained in vain. Most of you, I imagine, have spent four to five years here, and in many ways what you've learned and endured will serve you well in the years ahead. You've established good work habits. You've established a network of people that will help you down the road. And you've established what will be lifelong relationships with the word 'therapy.' All that of is good. For in truth, you will need that network. You will need those strong work habits. You will need that therapy.

"You will need them because you didn't drop out, and so you will never be among the richest people in the world. Oh sure, you may, perhaps, work your way up to No. 10 or No. 11, like Steve Ballmer. But then, I don't have to tell you who he really works for, do I? And for the record, he dropped out of grad school. Bit of a late bloomer.

"Finally, I realize that many of you, and hopefully by now most of you, are wondering, 'Is there anything I can do? Is there any hope for me at all?' Actually, no. It's too late. You've absorbed too much, think you know too much. You're not 19 anymore. You have a built-in cap, and I'm not referring to the mortar boards on your heads.

"Hmm, you're really very upset. That's understandable. So perhaps this would be a good time to bring up the silver lining. Not for you, Class of '00. You are a write-off, so I'll let you slink off to your pathetic $200,000-a-year jobs, where your checks will be signed by former classmates who dropped out two years ago.

"Instead, I want to give hope to any underclassmen here today. I say to you, and I can't stress this enough: leave. Pack your things and your ideas and don't come back. Drop out. Start up.

"For I can tell you that a cap and gown will keep you down just as suredly as these security guards dragging me off this stage are keeping me dow. . . "

There is hope for drop outs too.

Yeah, there's hope. However, this is merely a joke. Larry Ellison never said anything like this.

Man, I couldn't help but laughed when I read Seun's response. Actually I spoke with one of my friends yesterday about this posting and he told me of his personal experience. He was talking to another of our friends about going back to school for his masters so he can get promoted and make more money. The other guy (who has a masters degree) told him about thinking of what business to start and make real dollar, and this is his question to him "Name two or three billionaires you know that have college doctorate degree"?. Education is very great and I envy those who have all these fanciful degrees all over the places, however it is probably not for everyone, and if you must have it, please do something with which you can create employment. Education is a continuous process in human life, and we learn until we die. In all my educational experiences in this life so far, there is this golden rule of degree which states that "Whoever has the gold makes the rule".

@ Seun
actually he did, he made dat address to Yale's University graduating class of 2000 though he was whisked off the podium. Come to think of it, as at the time he made dat address the top 9 most richest men in the world were drop-outs.

It's just satire.

Well I agree with him,education does' nt just suck but it's a bitch,but I don't agree with him telling everybody to live school,afterall,if not for those that went to school,he won't even have had an access to the little knowledge he has now,he won't even be able to read what he read on that podium.What I am trying to say is that he should be more rational,life is all about rationality, not everybody can be a millionaire.there must be some poor people that would have been instrumental in his being where he is,is the banker that helps him store all his billions a drop out? I mean Icould just go on and on but let me stop by saying that inas much as i hate school as he does, i still say it is a necessary evil.thank u.

@ Krs-2

good talk, u are right my broda.

@ topic
not dat i liked school then but it was necessary

It never happened. It's a joke.