[1][2] Benjamin Bolger was born to Donald, an engineer with General Motors, and Loretta, a schoolteacher, and was raised in Grand Haven, Michigan.
At the age of two, his parents were both seriously injured when the family was involved in a near-fatal car accident caused by a drunk driver; Bolger says that this encouraged him to make the most out of his life.
Special education programs did not help him, and, in fourth grade, his mother began home-schooling Bolger, while undergoing a divorce.
He then transferred with those credits to the University of Michigan, majored in sociology, and graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 grade point average.
[1] Bolger was featured in a New York Times article in August of 2024 talking about his life, upbringing and his many degrees he has obtained.