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Have you ever fancied sailing around the world in your own yacht or buying a holiday home in the Caribbean? Well, before you get too excited, it may help to find out if you have what it takes to become a billionaire.
We've all heard stories of school drop-outs who have made their fortune, but are they the norm or an exception to the rule? Do they tend to be university graduates or self-made entrepreneurs? Are they married or single?
Thanks to a recent analysis of people in Forbes Top 100 Billionaires List, we can now find out what the world's mega rich have in common. We know which star sign is the most popular amongst multi-millionaires, what percentage wear glasses and even how many are bald!
If you are deciding whether or not to go to university, it may help you to know that 76% of the richest people in the world have a degree. According to this study, of those 76%, 47% have a bachelor's degree, 23% have a master's and 6% have a doctorate. Don't lose hope if you aren't very academic though. It's worth noting that many of those on the list did not pass all their exams with flying colours. Microsoft founder Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard University after two years of study. And Chinese business magnate Jack Ma, failed his university entrance exams three times before going on to complete his degree and make his millions.
Another interesting trend is that the world's high-fliers are much more likely to be married - only 12% of billionaires are unmarried. You are also more likely to make it if you were born under the most popular star sign, Aquarius, than if you are a Cancer - the least popular sign on the zodiac. Finally, the percentage of billionaires who are bald is quite high – so don't worry if you're losing your hair, you may get to sail that yacht around the Caribbean after all!
词汇表
a billionaire 亿万富翁
a school drop-out 一个中途退学的人
make ones fortune 靠个人努力发财致富
university graduate 大学毕业生
self-made 靠自己努力的,白手起家的
entrepreneur 企业家
mega rich 巨富
pass your exams with flying colours 优异成绩通过考试
founder 创始人
drop out of (school, university) 离开,退出(学校,大学)
magnate 富豪
high-flier 抱负极高的人,成功人士
to make it 功成名就