If You're Truly Very Smart, Why Aren't You Rich?

How much is a childâ??s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says itâ??s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists -- especially politicians and policy makers -- how much of the difference between peopleâ??s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent.