Why is it that a lot of intelligent people are not wealthy?

Question

Most people who are wealthy and making good money usually do not know their a.ss from their elbow...Why is that?

Answer 1

I don't know about you, but the most intelligent people I know are also the dumbest people I know too. Unfortunately, while they were busy learning, the important things they would need to know to succeed they also forgot the most essential part of life...Social Skills. Unfortunately, no one wants to hire someone smarter than they are who are socially awkward. Even if they have a great idea, if you can't pitch it you cant sell it. That's what an interview is after all. Isn't it?

Answer 2

There are different kinds of intelligence. Like everything else in life, making money takes time and effort. Many smart people choose to advance their understanding and knowledge in a variety of subjects. Any time a person spends developing themselves is time not spent making money or thinking about making money.

Many, if not most wealthy people have one track minds. They see dollar signs everywhere they go and learn to devise ways to increase their wealth.

Don't be fooled by the whole inheritance thing. There are plenty of people who have squandered inheritances and others who have started from little that have amassed great fortunes.

You have to think rich to become rich... and being rich has nothing to do with owning nice things... it has to do with playing a game where you see opportunities and take other people's money legally.

People that are only book smart are usually worse at this than people with street smarts, so don't think that being intelligent hinders wealth. It just takes a different kind of smarts.

Answer 3

"Nice guys only appear to finish last, in reality they are running a different race."

I am a genious. I do not have a lot of money.
I love my wife, and she loves me. We have two wonderful children. We have food to eat, a roof over our heads, AND time together as a family. A lot of people with a lot of money can say all the same things except one... the TIME together. Making money takes time. How much is your time worth? If you achieve your financial dreams and then look back and realize that you sold all the time you could have had with your family, will you feel like a success? I'm not bashing other's decisions. To each his own. Do I wish I had more money? YES! Am I willing to make the sacrifices in my family time to get the money? NO! I work, my wife works, we are not lazy people. Ask someone who is wealthy, how much time their business takes? Did you know the average small business owner works more than 80 hours a week!? How bad does anyone really need any of the crap that all that extra money can buy? One does NOT have to be smart to get rich. One must WANT to get rich. Sometimes they must want it most. The truly wise, like myself, are content with less material things. Maybe someday I'll be rich, but it won't be because I slaved for it. Another great thing about me is that I am humble.

Answer 4

It all comes down to happiness.

Maybe there is a correlation between intelligent people's happiness being influences more by things without cost than with.

To say that in general that intelligent people aren't as rich as less intelligent people may be too much of a stretch though. Maybe less motivated towards money. But I would hardly call Bill Gates less than intelligent, or the only Billionaire Author, or a family of people who created an economic machine called Walmart.

A few flaws in the logic, but you might be on to something.

Answer 5

It is not true that most wealthy people are stupid. My dad is what would be considered wealthy and I hang out with a group of brilliant kids in top education preps and their fathers are also very smart. There are more poor folks then wealthier ones and by definition half of the world would be considered gifted and above. Thats a lot of people, and not half of the world is wealthy.

I wish it was so, but it is not.

Answer 6

First question: Because they're smart enough to know that wealth isn't
everything. Money doesn't buy happiness-but is can purchase a whole lot of enemies and miseries.
Last question: Because these people use their popularity rather than their
knowledge in order to get ahead. They
often major in back-stabbing, plagiarism, nepotism, butt-kissing,
snitching, etc.,. The only butts and elbows they need to recognize are the ones which belong to their bosses.

Answer 7

Wealth does not denote intelligence, nor intelligence wealth. Those who find a way to excel in the system that is business, or who are "lucky" enough to inherit money are wealthy. Just because a person is intelligent does not mean that they want to live to work, rather, these intelligent people would want to work to live, and choose those jobs which they find dear to their hearts, instead of choosing the road that leads to gross wealth.

Answer 8

One reason is that, maybe some of those intelligent people are contented about their life and does not intend to be rich. Another is that, some intelligent people doesn't have the confidence and determination and believes they can succeed. And finally, some intelligent people are afraid to take risks or make mistakes that's why they remain on their positions forever.

Answer 9

Because, intelligent people are busy trying to change the world and the wealthy are too busy trying to figure out ways to make another dollar.

Answer 10

Depends on the person. A lot of intelligent people are not in it for the money. They get a satisfaction from the challenge of their jobs.

A lot of people with the money, take jobs that make a lot of money but doesn't need a lot of skills like sales, pharmaceutical reps, etc.