Top 10 Notable Harvard Alumni You Need to Know.

Harvard University | Producing geniuses since 1636

   Harvard University is the second-best University in the world right after Oxford University as of 2023. But when it comes down to producing high-profile individuals, no university can beat Harvard. This achievement can be seen through their record number of honors and awards that includes 161 Nobel Laureates and 132 Pulitzer prize winners. Furthermore, Harvard University notable alumni include 23 heads of state, 8 of which are former American Presidents, and 11 billionaires. 

  There are over 400,000 notable Harvard Alumni across the world and many of them are reputable scientists, politicians, business persons, and entertainers. Going through all the 400,000 will take far too long, so let’s just check out the top 10 notable Harvard Alumni. 

Barack Obama 

   One of the most beloved and well-known American Presidents in the world, Barack Hussain Obama is a Harvard University law school notable alumni who graduated with a J.D. magna cum laude in 1991. Before his presidency, Barack Obama served as the Illinois State senator from 1997 to 2004. 

 During his Harvard years, Barack Obama was nothing but exceptional, and he was selected to be part of the Harvard Law Review. He went on to become the first-ever person of color to assume the presidency of the review publication. 

While becoming the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama had more than 20 of his classmates from Harvard University on his team.  

Naina Lal Kidwai

 You can achieve anything if you set your mind to it, and that’s exactly what Naina Lal Kidwai- the first-ever Indian woman to graduate from Harvard University did. 

 Naina Lal Kidwai is a well-known investment and retail banker in India, but before she reached this point. She was a chartered accountant trainee for Price Waterhouse in 1977 and also the only woman in the firm. 

 When faced with gender discrimination, Naina Lal Kidwai decided that obtaining more degrees is her best defense against discrimination. Which led her to become the first Indian woman to graduate from Harvard University in 1982. 

 Today, she works with Grassroots Trading Network for Women- alongside her husband to empower Indian women. 

 Bill Gates

 Although Bill Gates is a Harvard dropout, he is nevertheless a Harvard University notable alumni who received his diploma nearly 30 years after dropping out. 

 Bill Gates spent only 2 years at Harvard University before dropping out to start Microsoft.inc and becoming a millionaire at the age of 26. Today, Bill Gates-led Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aids students across the world to make better choices about where they want to study. 

Ratan Tata

Harvard University notable alumni from India serve as role models for future generations and Ratan Tata is one of them. There’s no denying that Ratan Tata is India’s most-beloved industrialist and is a well-known philanthropist across the world. 

   He studied at Harvard Business School for the Advanced Management Program in 1975. To date Tata Trust, Led by Ratan Tata, has donated millions of dollars to educational institutions for providing financial aid to deserving students. Including $50 million for the construction for Harvard University executive center. 

Neil deGrasse Tyson 

  Neil deGrasse Tyson is a renowned astrophysicist best known for demoting Pluto’s status as a planet and his discoveries on stars and galaxy formation. 

  Neil deGrasse Tyson completed his BA in Physics at Harvard University in 1980, while at Harvard University, Neil deGrasse Tyson pursued several different activities such as wrestling, and dancing. Neil deGrasse Tyson has received 9 honorary doctorates and even has an asteroid named after himself. 

Yet, he’s best known for making science clear and humorous. You can easily find him on the “Startalk” podcast on YouTube. 

Michael Bloomberg

 There’s almost nobody that doesn’t know Bloomberg LP, one of the biggest financial news companies. But the man behind this company, Micheal R. Bloomberg is even more impressive. 

 Michael Bloomberg graduated from Harvard University not once, but twice. Michael Bloomberg first graduated in 1964 with a B.Sc in electrical engineering. Later in 1966, he graduated with a MBA degree. 

 Other than being a businessman, Bloomberg is also known for his role in strengthening the economy during the 2008 financial crisis. He was elected twice as the New York City Mayor due to his impeccable management skills that stabilized the NYC economy. 

 Conan O’Brien

Conan O’Brien is a well-known comedian and producer who is best known as one of the writers of “The Simpsons” and the producer of Team Coco. 

   Conan O’Brien enrolled at Harvard University in 1981 and two years later, he became the president of The Harvard Lampoon. He served two years as the president of this reputed humor magazine. 

  Conan has won an Emmy Award for his work in Saturday Night Live (SNL) with other writers. He’s appeared as a host of many TV shows such as Tonight’s Talk and Late Night Show. Other than this, he’s also voiced “The Riddler” in the 2017 Lego Batman movie. 

Eugenie Carys de Silva

 Even among the notable Harvard Alumni Eugenie Carys de Silva is a class of herself. She is the youngest person ever to graduate from Harvard University at age of 14. 

  Other than holding a Master’s degree in Intelligence Studies, she also holds Masters in Liberal arts, Masters in philosophy, Ph.D in Politics. Additionally, she’s also the youngest person to read for a Ph.D Academic degree. 

  Talk about being a higher-than-high achiever. Eugenie Carys de Silva presently works as a consultant for Proactive response and resiliency at Booz Allen Hamilton. 

Eduardo Saverin

Eduardo Saverin is a venture capitalist and one of the youngest Brazilian billionaires (Net worth of $12.5 billion). He co-founded Facebook with his classmate Mark Zuckerberg. A large portion of his wealth came from his stake in Facebook, he owned 53 million Facebook shares. 

Saverin graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Harvard University. Currently, he is a partner of a global investment firm, B Capital. 

Ban Ki-moon

Ban Ki-moon, a politician and former secretary general of the UN, served as the 8th secretary general of the United Nations. He has been striving to bring peace, protect refugees all over the world, and fight hunger. 

  Ban graduated in international relations from Seoul National University and did a Master of Public Relations at Harvard University. Although he isn’t leading the UN as a secretary general anymore, he is still devoted to making the world a happier place.

Key takeaways

• Harvard University is ranked second in the world and has over 400,000 notable alumni. 
• Harvard University is the only university in the world with 161 Nobel Laureates and 132 Pulitzer prize winners. 
• 8 of the most well-known American Presidents including Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama graduated from Harvard. 

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FAQs

Q1: Who is eligible for Harvard Alumni? 

Ans: Anyone who has graduated or has received an honorary doctorate from Harvard University is eligible for Harvard Alumni. 

Q2: Do Harvard Alumni get any special benefits? 

Ans: Yes, Harvard Alumni do get benefits such as free access to over 7000 journals, discounts on Harvard magazine subscriptions, and more. 

Q3: What are the best subjects to take at Harvard University? 

Ans: There are plenty of options, but the best subjects include social sciences, biological sciences, history, mathematics and psychology.