These 9 entrepreneurs were paid $100,000 to drop out of college - here's what they're up to today

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laura deming

TEDMED

Forbes 30 under 30 star and partner at The Longevity Fund, Laura Deming gives a talk at a TEDMED conference.

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"Some ideas just can't wait," reads the website for the Thiel Fellowship.

In 2011, investor, entrepreneur, and Trump adviser Peter Thiel launched a program that awards $100,000 to promising young entrepreneurs who are willing to drop out of college and turn their bright ideas into real businesses. Dozens of tech prodigies have passed through the program, with mixed results. While plenty of Thiel fellows return to school after their two-year deployment in Silicon Valley, a handful go on to create venture-backed startups worth millions.

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We tracked down some of the most successful Thiel fellows to see what they're up to.