If there's one person whom I wouldn't want as a role model, it would be Bill Gates! I don't know of any computer industry tycoons that I'd like to pattern myself after. I'd probably go for Chris Date or EF Codd if I could make such a choice.

Undeniably Bill has done good for himself and he's given pretty much everyone on this site a good living with some cool toys. But how much of that is business acumen vs geek skill? I'd say more of the former than the latter. Bill Vaughn ("Hitchhiker's Guide to SQL Server" books) would also be another one. I've had a bit of correspondence with him, he seems like a pretty cool dude with a good sense of humor.

I do have a degree now and I'm working towards improving it. I don't know if I'll ever bother with the PhD level, though I'm sure my wife would love having two in the family. She calls me the smartest uneducated man that she knows.