REUTERS: New Haven, CT What follows is a transcript of
the speech delivered by Ellison, CEO and founder of
Oracle, at the Yale University graduation ceremony
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 #10 or # 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
surely as these security guards dragging me off this
stage are keeping me dow...
The Oracle CEO was ushered off stage.
______________
* A Spoof!
Courtesy: IITM Chennai
-------------------------------
PS: A Class Mate of mine, Four decades ago, continued to study G, PG & Ph D, finally. His School Friend and Pre-University College "Drop Out" took to Car Mechanic Trade, set up a Successful Garage, raised his Charges to reduce Work Load ... but ended up with more and more Business. He even offered to finance his Friend (My Class Mate) in his Studies!
and now i m missing it by just a cat's whisker... 
...It was just an imaginary speech to dig at ppl who work their ass off to get good grades and do nutting else in life, and ultimately settle down in average state if not in mediocrity.
