Usher Says He Was Misunderstood And Passed Over In School — Now He's Worth $200 Million And Tells Gen Z 'Blaze A New Trail'

"Blaze a new trail," singer-songwriter Usher Terry Raymond IV urged Emory University's Class of 2025 during his commencement address on May 12 in Atlanta, stressing that "it's the person who animates the degree." 

The eight-time Grammy winner received an honorary doctor of humane letters during the speech, where he recalled being "misunderstood and passed over" in school yet still amassing an estimated $200 million fortune through music, tech bets, and sports ownership.

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From Off-Key To On Top

"A diploma still matters, yes of course it matters, but it's not the paper that gives the power, it's you," Usher said, urging graduates to match credentials with "ambition, integrity, hustle and heart." Emory highlighted the address in a campus recap.

Cut from a middle-school chorus for singing off-key, Usher signed his first record deal at 14. Decades later, Celebrity Net Worth values his net worth near $200 million, crediting chart-toppers, a minority stake in the NBA's, and early tech investments.

Degrees vs. Grit

Graduates now face a chillier market than when "Yeah!" vaulted up the charts in 2004. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows unemployment for workers ages 20-24 hit 8.2% in May while the national rate held at 4.2%. Hiring freezes widen that gap. 

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Business Insider reported this month that entry-level openings at Big Tech names such as Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL)) and Apple AAPL have fallen more than 50% since 2019. 

The 2025 SignalFire State of Tech Talent Report echoes the downturn, which shows new-grad hiring now accounts for just 7% of Big Tech additions, down from 15% pre-pandemic.

Students are reassessing the return on that diploma. According to an Indeed Hiring Lab survey published in May, 51% of Gen Z professionals believe their degree was a "waste of money" as employers pivot to skill-first criteria and use generative AI for junior tasks.

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Dream Big, Even If It Sounds Crazy

Commencement stages nationwide echoed the mindset message. Olympic gymnast Simone Biles told Washington University graduates in St. Louis the same day that "the world doesn't need you to be perfect—it needs you to be bold." 

Those remarks align with Usher's closing challenge to Emory's class: "Be a little unrealistic—be a little delusional" when pursuing fulfillment, yet stay patient with the process. 

As he reminded graduates, obstacles can "make you or break you," but a relentless mindset can still turn classroom setbacks into platinum records—or whatever success looks like after the mortarboards land. 

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