Larry Ellison (Oracle CEO)

 Larry Ellison (Oracle CEO)

这是甲骨文公司总裁Larry Ellison (Oracle CEO) 在耶鲁大学Yale

University 给2000级毕业生the graduating class of 2000所作的演讲全文，由于他句句

惊人，很冷，最后被耶鲁大学保安请下讲台。该演讲号称历史最牛之演讲，但是否classi

c则不得而知，美国出版的一本大学经典演讲集未将其收入其中。

         

"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

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 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 9 anymore. You have a

built-in cap,and I'm not referring to the mortarboards on your

heads.

 

Hmm ... you're really very upset. That's understandable. So

perhaps this

Could 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 cheques 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 down..."

 

(At this point The Oracle CEO was ushered off stage.)

 

拉里埃里森为甲骨文软件公司创始人，目前身价260亿美元。