Why Being Smart Isn’t the Sole Path to Wealth

If everyone is smart, why isn’t everyone rich then?

You have famous actors, athletes, and rock stars that don’t always complete a college education but end up perfectly wealthy. Similarly, some children haven’t uttered their first words but have become rich through inheritances or life insurance payouts. All this to say, the path to wealth is not by being smart. 

Zagorsky, an author and researcher at Ohio State University, said that one’s IQ has no relationship to one’s wealth. He did a study that there is no relationship between wealth and intelligence.

Rich People Who Have No College Degree

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Microsoft and a college dropout after only three semesters. He is a renowned billionaire that many people look up to since he went from a college dropout to the richest man in the world. His advice to people is, “To win big, you sometimes have to take big risks.” According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $115 billion. 

Mark Zuckerberg 

Along with Bill Gates, Mark also attended Harvard University but never graduated. He dropped out when he was working on the original form of Facebook. He is known as the CEO of Facebook, the largest social media platform in the world. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $96.2 billion. 

Mr. Beast (also known as Jimmy Donaldson) 

Mr. Beast is the youngest and biggest Youtuber in the world at the age of 24. He briefly attended university before dropping out since he felt it was a waste of time. Through hard work and dedication, he reached over 100 million subscribers on Youtube, making him the most subscribed individual on the platform. According to Forbes, he has a net worth of $500 million. 

Alexandr Wang 

Alexandr Wang is the youngest self-made billionaire at the age of 24. At 19, he dropped out of MIT to co-found Scale AI, a data labeling startup that will change the world. This all happens during a summer break from MIT. He is ranked 2,534 on the Forbes list of world billionaires. 

It Takes More Than Being Smart to Become Rich 

The Desire and Determination 

When you have a desire, it is an impulse for change. Without a desire, you can’t accomplish anything. The desire to reach a goal makes rich people get to where they are. They know and understand what it takes to make a dream a reality. No matter their obstacle, they will find a solution to get there. 

Risk-Taking 

When you see millionaires and billionaires, they will take risks to make their dreams come true. It’s something one has to do to make more money. If you want to go big, you have to be willing to follow through. There may be mistakes, but you can’t win big if you don’t take big risks. You have successful individuals like Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg as evidence who took a lot of risks. 

Time Doesn’t Stop 

Most people will clock out at 5 p.m. since it’s the end of the day. Once the big hand is on 5, people think that the day is over and it’s time to go home and rest. Wealthy people don’t clock out even when it’s 5 p.m. They continue to work until the job is done. The workday is long, with many ups and downs. If you want to work towards a goal, you have to be willing to sacrifice time to get there. 

Positivity 

According to a study on Personality and Individual Differences, positive emotions shape net wealth. A positive mindset and emotions will help you get through anything and create the life you want. If you don’t believe in your ideas or dreams, you won’t be able to break through. There will be unhappy times, but during those times, you need to stay positive and focus on your goals. Being positive will remind you that it will get better and anything can change its course. 

Never Quitting

When it feels like a dead end, wealthy people don’t quit. The first shot is never a win. Every single wealthy person has failed at least once. Failing repeatedly makes you a stronger and better person than before. You might have to take a few detours, but a wealthy person never forgets the purpose of fighting for one’s dream.

Smart Doesn’t Mean Everything 

When it comes to making big money, it takes more than just being smart. No matter where you are in life, anyone can make it to the top 1%. It requires work, dedication, and time but it is not impossible. Being smart is part of it and can assist you in achieving your goals, but what comes after is the action one must take to succeed.