When Meta Platforms Inc. (META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg walked away from Harvard in 2004, it became one of Silicon Valley's most legendary dropout stories. But here's the thing: nobody in his inner circle was particularly surprised.

Everyone Saw It Coming

Speaking at Y Combinator's Startup School in 2013, Zuckerberg shared a story that reveals just how inevitable his departure seemed to everyone around him. It started with Facemash, a website he built that let Harvard students rate photos of their classmates. The project briefly crashed Harvard's network and put Zuckerberg squarely in the administration's crosshairs.

"My friends really thought that they were going to kick me out," Zuckerberg recalled. So naturally, they threw him a going-away party before any official decision came down.

That premature farewell party turned out to be life-changing in an unexpected way. "I actually met my wife at that party," Zuckerberg said, referring to Priscilla Chan. Nothing like a potential expulsion to bring people together.

His family had similar intuitions about his college trajectory. Zuckerberg mentioned that his younger sister once made a bet that she'd graduate college before he did. She won that wager handily.

"My mom later told me that she always knew I was going to leave college," he added. His response? "Oh thanks, Mom." Apparently maternal instinct extends to predicting unconventional career paths.

The Path From Rating Photos To Building An Empire

Facemash didn't last long, but it sparked something considerably bigger. Zuckerberg pivoted from the photo-rating concept to create Facebook, initially conceived as a digital directory exclusively for Harvard students. The inspiration came from the printed "face books" that campus dorms traditionally used.

The platform caught fire quickly, expanding to other universities and eventually opening to the general public. It fundamentally transformed how people connect online, and as Facebook gained momentum, Zuckerberg made the call to leave Harvard and focus on the company full time.

Coming Back As The Boss

Zuckerberg's Harvard story doesn't end with him leaving. He returned in 2011, though not as a student—as a CEO hunting for talent. He received a rock-star welcome while pitching Facebook to students at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Then in 2017, he came back once more to deliver Harvard's commencement address, where he couldn't resist poking fun at his incomplete degree.

"I'm honored to be with you today because, let's face it, you accomplished something I never could," Zuckerberg told the graduating class. "If I get through this speech, it'll be the first time I actually finish something at Harvard."

Tech's Dropout Hall Of Fame

Zuckerberg joins an impressive roster of tech titans who bailed on traditional education to build empires. Bill Gates left Harvard to create Microsoft Corp. (MSFT). Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College before founding Apple Inc. (AAPL). Larry Ellison quit two different universities before starting Oracle Corp. (ORCL). And Michael Dell departed the University of Texas to grow Dell Technologies (DELL).

Today, Zuckerberg's decision to leave Harvard looks pretty justified. He's worth an estimated $233 billion, ranking fourth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Not bad for someone who never finished his degree.