Economics are boring. An influential billionaire telling people to go out and make something might make a difference. It's why quotes are frequently misattributed.

Who would care if Bill in cube B12 said the same thing?

Economics isn't boring at all; it's the study of choice, incentives, and why people do the things they do. It's applied psychology in the large. Learning even a little bit about economics teaches you why so much of the world is the way it is.