Elon Musk called medical school “pointless,” but Jeff Bezos wants Gen Z to finish college before starting their own companies — as AI threatens entry-level jobs

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The job market is changing rapidly with the increasing use of generative AI in companies around the world. Last year, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff mentioned that his company was reconsidering how many software engineers to hire, because AI tools were already significantly boosting employee productivity.

With companies increasingly using artificial intelligence, many employees are worried about job security. This concern also extends to new graduates, who now face competition from AI when looking for work.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei predicts that AI could eliminate as many as half of entry-level white-collar jobs, potentially leaving many young people without work. This, along with other pressures, is driving some to pursue alternative ways to earn money, like starting their own businesses even if it means leaving school.

As an analyst, I’ve observed that while figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates have achieved incredible success without finishing college, I believe those cases are truly rare. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, actually frames them as exceptions to the rule – a tiny percentage compared to the overall population, as he recently pointed out.

During an interview at Italian Tech Week last fall, the executive indicated that:

I always tell young people to start their careers at a well-run company, one that does things the right way. You can learn essential skills there – like how to effectively hire and interview – that will serve you well throughout your career. There will still be plenty of time to launch your own company later, after you’ve gained that valuable experience.

Jeff Bezos argues that joining an established company gives you a better chance of success early in your career than immediately launching your own startup with no experience.

The billionaire believes that having an extra ten years of experience working within a company significantly increased Amazon’s chances of success.

I always tell people that my college experience was really valuable and enjoyable. It definitely helped me get where I am today.

Amazon chairman and founder, Jeff Bezos

Amazon is currently a highly desirable company, valued at around $2.64 trillion. Its founder, Jeff Bezos, is also one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, with a net worth of $268 billion.

I’ve noticed a difference in how Jeff Bezos started Amazon compared to folks like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates. They were both still teenagers when they launched their companies, having dropped out of school to do so. Bezos, though, was already 30 and had spent a decade working in the corporate world before starting Amazon.

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2026-01-16 14:15