Whether or not you are smarter than someone else has almost no impact on whether or not you will make more money than that person in your lifetime. That’s the conclusion of several studies measuring intelligence and wealth.
Surprised? It’s a common misconception that intelligence leads to higher income. While in some cases, it helps. In others, it might actually hurt.
The studies suggest that the characteristics that better determine a person’s income are work ethic, charisma, and appearance. If you are well-groomed, determined, and easy to get along with, you are more likely to succeed financially than someone who is intelligent, but lacking those three traits. For the full story, read more here.