Does intelligence equal wealth? Not necessarily. If you define intelligence as the ability to apply knowledge and skills, then intelligence can definitely help someone accumulate wealth. However, there are many hardworking people who work hard and strive only to find that their salaries are average and there is no progress in sight.

Educated but unemployed

Educated people working disappointing jobs are not a reflection of terrible recessionary times. Rather, it is because the financial rewards depend on what the manufacturer has to offer. Every individual competes in the labor market, and intelligence plays a limited role. The marketplace is nothing more than the exchange of people’s accumulated wants and desires. Much of what consumers collectively see as great value in the marketplace has little to do with intelligence.

No one expects Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr., retired professional basketball player and current president of operations for the Los Angeles Lakers, to provide evidence for the Riemann hypothesis. presence It is estimated at half a billion dollars. In Johnson’s case, he developed unique, non-academic skills that he could use to earn a high salary. Johnson made much more money by saving and investing that salary. passive income not through active means.

Compare this to Christopher Michael Langan, an American known for his high IQ. Langan’s story is a classic example of how little correlation there can be between intelligence and financial reward. Raised in poverty by a single mother, Langan dropped out of two universities and has worked a series of manual labor jobs ever since. This is despite the fact that he is billed as “the smartest man in America” ​​and his IQ is measured between 190 and 210. Between shifts as a security guard, Langan single-handedly devised a theory that combined science and theology. His theory could significantly advance humanity’s understanding, but it doesn’t pay Langan’s bills as efficiently as his current job, a horse farm.

Applying Knowledge or Practicality

But actionable intelligence is still a force in the labor market. Google creators Sergey Brin and Larry Page are master programmers with strong credentials in mathematics and computer science. After graduating from Stanford, both could take on entry-level jobs at Microsoft or IBM. But Brin and Page also had a mission. Their goal was to organize the world’s information and make it available to everyone. Without intelligence, Google or its parent company Alphabet would remain merely a niche business rather than achieving massive market share.

Exploiting a gap in the market doesn’t necessarily require sharp intelligence; Maybe just a practical insight. Fred Harvey, founder of Harvey House, never set out to formulate a scientific theory, but he did notice that people getting off at train stations often wanted something to eat and a place to spend the night. Armed with this knowledge, he became one of the hospitality industry’s most successful entrepreneurs.

In conclusion

Taking advantage of opportunities is often a skill far removed from what is learned in the classroom. Take two college math departments. The “A” student boasts about his time in graduate school, the teaching job he quickly acquired, and the full professorship with a salary of $100,000. Student “C” casually mentions that they are billionaires. They said, “I found a product that I bought for $2 and sold for $5.” “It’s amazing how much money you can make with this kind of money marking”