11 famous executives who majored in philosophy

Through one lens, the study of philosophy is the purest intellectual quest there is. Through another, it's a punch line.

(Q: How many philosophers does it take to change a light-bulb?

A: Three: one to change the lightbulb, and to to debate whether they ought to, and if so, whether it follows that they can. This one is from The Philosopher's Cocoon, but are more where that came from.)

But while it's easy to dismiss philosophy as one of the "soft" humanities that is, as star venture capitalist Marc Andreessen once said, a sure path to "working in a shoe store," it's also short-sighted.

It's true that most high-powered jobs won't have you curled up in a cubical debating the finer points of Heidegger, but it's also true that the skills you learn studying those ideas - how to think critically, write well, analyze complicated concepts, and sell ideas - can pay off in the business world. And as these 12 industry leaders prove, they can pay off big.

This is an update of an article originally written by Max Nisen.