Yahoo Finance Meet the 18-year-old Aussie drop-out making $15k a month
Harry Edwards dropped out of high-school when he was 16-years old. Now he runs his own business, which is making $15,000 per month.
Harry Edwards first started freelance video editing when he was at school. By the time he turned 16, he was earning $120,000 a year and had dropped out.
“My dad was not so supportive, which is totally understandable because it is a strange pathway to go on. My mum was a little more lenient but I still had to convince her,” Edwards told Yahoo Finance.
Now, at 18-years-old, Edwards has expanded his video editing business on Fiverr and has hired 10 team members to help him with his workload. Now based in Kenya, Edwards is getting clients from around the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK.
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According to Edwards, his business makes about a $15,000 profit per month ($10,000 USD). But he personally takes home 40 to 60 per cent of that figure after wages and other expenses are paid, or around $6,000 to $9,000 per month.
Aussies rejecting study
Edwards is one of many young Aussies who are turning their back on formal study and paving their own careers instead.
A study by Fiverr found 62 per cent of aged 18- to 22-years-old see tertiary education as a “nice to have”, rather than a “must-have” for success.
Half of the 1,004 Aussies surveyed said they were planning to work full-time or part-time this year, while another 20 per cent planned to start their own business. Just over a third (36 per cent) were planning on studying.
Fiverr community manager Oliver Woolrych said the findings showed Gen Z’s weren’t taking a one-size-fits-all approach to their careers.
“As a result, businesses need to pivot and be prepared to hire differently. The demand for degrees may decline, and hiring managers should be prepared to offer more flexible work options, such as hybrid work and the ability to work from anywhere, to attract and retain this generation," Woolrych said.
While Edwards didn’t finish high-school or go to uni, he said he hasn’t stopped learning and has invested in taking courses and going to conferences.
He is now hoping to set up a physical office in Kenya for his business and work with a charity to help university graduates start their own freelance gigs.
For other young Aussies hoping to get into freelancing, Edwards recommended they build up their skills through YouTube tutorials and cheap Udemy courses.
“For me, leaving school worked out well and I’m happy I made that choice. But it’s a one in five chance that it will work out well,” Edwards said.
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