This argument was weak at best and would rarely work in the real world.
First, not many people have 85K sitting around to invest at 18. No banks would lend it to them either considering they don't have well established credit or property to secure the loan.
Second, what would MOST high school graduates be doing all those years from 18 until retirement. Probably working some mundane job not to dissimilar from the college grad.
Third, your high school graduate will be far less likely to receive benefits such as health care, 401K, etc. than the college grad.
The millions of college grads that float through school with no idea of what's going on in the real world would likely face the same results if they got a job out of high school...basically working for someone else for a low to average wage.
For the small percentage of natural entrepreuners, visionaries, or whatever you may want to call them I have to agree. They are more likely to make it big striking out on their own rather than going to college. However, I'm sure there are plenty of very successful grads.
I'm sure there are also a number of people dumbed down by college and would have been better not going, but all in all, there are more people who wish they would have gone to school than those who wished they hadn't.
Most importantly, if you're someone "special" or "destined" and deciding between college or working out of school, why make a choice. DO BOTH. See what it's like. If you're gonna make it big, you're probably gonna have to work hard, make sacrifices, etc. What better way to test your determination than doing both and seeing what you like better...that way you still have a safety net in college if you need it.