Maybe it's just your social circle. Nobody likes university in mine - and in the last 15 years no company I worked in required a degree. I met a few CTOs (in real companies, not startup "CTOs" with 3 engineers) without degrees.

I took my degree in CS while I was working (lots of sleepless nights and ill prepared exams) and just because I didn't want to preclude myself from the opportunity of working for some big company with antiquated requirements.