Larry Ellison's Challenges

Note : pada masa itu Larry Ellison telah menjadi manusia terkaya no 2 di Diunia
Pidato ini sangat menantang, jadi bacalah dengan pemahaman yang dewasa

Pidato wisuda sarjana
Yale University, September 2000
oleh : Lawrence 'Larry' Ellison

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 classmates on the right. Now, consider this : Five years from now, ten years, even 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 future leaders in a thousand industries. I see thousand losers.

You're upset. That understanable. After all. how can I, Lawrence 'Larry' Ellison, college drop out, have the audacity to spout such heresy to the graduating class of one of the nation's most prestigious institutions?

I tell you why...

Because I, Lawrence 'Larry Ellison, second richest man on the planet, am a college drop out, and you are not.

Because Bill Gates, richest man on the planet-for now, anyway-is a college drop out, 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 drop out, and you, yet again are not.

Hmmm..... you're very upset. That's understanable. 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 have learned and endured will serve you well in the years ahead. You've established good work habits. Yous established a network of people that will help you down the road. And you've established what will be lifelong relationship with the word "therapy".

All that of is good. For 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 you way up to No. 10 or No. 11, like Steve Ballmer. But then, I don't have to tell you who he really work 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 most of you are wondering, "Is there anything I can do ? Is there Any hpe for me at all?"

Actually, no. It's to late. You've absorbed too much, think you know to much. You're not 19 anymore. You have a built-in cap, and I'm not refereing to the mortar boards on your head.

Hmmm... you're really very upset. That's understanable. So Perhaps this would be good time to bring up the silver lining. Not for you, Class of "00. You're write off, so I'll let you slink off to your pathetic $200.000 a year jobs, where your check will be signed by former classmates who dropped out two years ago.

Instead, I want to give hope to any underclassmates her today. I say to you, and I can't stress this enough: leave. Pack your thing and your ideas and don't comeback. Drop out, start up. For I can tell you that a cap and a gown will keep you down just as surely as these security guards dragging me off this stage are keeping me down....

Tentang Penulis
Lawrence 'Larry' Ellison adalah CEO ORACLE, orang terkaya kedua di dunia.