Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein says Peter Thiel is wrong: College is worth it because it makes you a ‘complete person’
Palantir cofounder Peter Thiel is meanwhile luring young entrepreneurs with $200,000 grants to ditch the “corrupt institution” of higher education and “build new things.” But Lloyd Blankfein, former CEO of Goldman Sachs, is hitting back with his own two cents for budding workers.
Key points
- Blankfein conceded the Ivy League school might not be a perfect fit for everyone, but it undeniably opened doors for his future career and was “the best place to have gone.” The ex– Goldman Sachs leader says the school nurtured his confidence, writing skills, love of history, and engagement with current events.
- The anti-college Thiel and Meritocracy Fellowship Blankfein’s vocal appreciation for the college experience comes at a time when some tech leaders are challenging the efficacy of higher ed.
- “I strongly disagree with the technology investor Peter Thiel,” Blankfein wrote in an excerpt from his memoir, Streetwise, shared with Vanity Fair earlier this year.
But you also need to be a complete person—the kind of person other people want to engage with.” One of the best ways aspiring professionals can grow as individuals and set themselves up for career success is by going to college, Blankfein advised.
Additional details
- Absent meritocracy, campuses have become breeding grounds for extremism and chaos.” Palantir cofounder Thiel has been disrupting the college-to-job pipeline for much longer.
- “Your undergraduate years are your best opportunity to make yourself uncomfortable in a way that can help make you more curious and interesting,” Blankfein added.
- Since 2011, the Thiel Fellowship has been handing out sizable grants to young people who are willing to drop out of college and launch their businesses.
- Skip the indoctrination.” Cofounder and CEO Alex Karp added that the internship was created to combat the “shortcomings of university admissions.” “Opaque admissions standards at many American universities have displaced meritocracy and excellence,” the Palantir job posting said.
- “A diploma still matters, yes of course it matters, but it’s not the paper that gives the power, it’s you, you create the value behind that degree,” Usher told graduates of Emory University in 2025.
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