Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Fortune
Fortune
Emma Burleigh

Former Goldman Sachs CEO got into Harvard University at just 16 from public housing in Brooklyn—and says higher education is still the best way of breaking into the middle class

Lloyd Blankfein, former CEO of Goldman Sachs (Credit: Michael Cohen / Stringer / Getty Images)

Some business CEOs have put the college degree on blast, questioning if higher education is really setting students up for success in the workforce. But the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, is pushing back against that narrative. 

Blankfein has witnessed the power of a strong college education firsthand. The billionaire finance leader was born into public housing in Brooklyn, sharing a bedroom in his small New York City apartment with his grandmother or sister until he went off to college. At the time, his high school was on the brink of shutting down, Blankfein told CBS—but the then-teenager battened down the hatches, studied hard, became class valedictorian, and got into Harvard University at just 16 years old. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.