There are many factors that drive wealth such as education, character, information, energy to do, passion, perverance, endurance, patience, skills, opportunity and consistency in ideas that will bring positive impact and value to the society.
These things drive wealth? Or are you trying to say that these things are important to allow a person to make wealth?
Education will get your the degree but the skills are important, if the person is passionate about that they will excel in it with the proper education and the required skills. Having the above qualities will further allow them to run it for the long term and become successful their way of living.
Also the big names in tech and all maybe dropped education, but they are exceptions and thus should not be taken as the rule.