TIL that Cornelius Vanderbilt left school at age 11 and went on to build a shipping and railroad empire that, during the 19th century, would make him one of the wealthiest men in the world.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanderbilt_family

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/156homi/til_that_cornelius_vanderbilt_left_school_at_age/