throwaway5393

Thanks for the article! This is fascinating and I will look into their paper more, but on a quick glance, I wonder about their methodology here:

> The authors identified 13 surnames that appear with unusual frequency in the Qin examination system—the Chinese test to identify who will become a member of the highest elite in the country, the state bureaucracy. They selected them from more than 50,000 successful candidates (the most successful) in the Yuan, Ming, and Qin dynasties, starting in 221 BCE (we are talking China). These surnames are overrepresented in the modern imperial era and in modern Chinese elites—the high officials in the Nationalist government from 1912 to the triumph of the communists in 1949; professors at the ten most prestigious universities in the country in 2012; chairs of the boards of companies listed in 2006 as having assets of $1.5 million and above; and members of the (still communist) central government administration in 2010.

It is my understanding that while the Chinese do have a variety of surnames, they are often based on region. Not to mention, the 3 surnames "Wang, Li, and Zhang" are attributed to almost 30% of Chinese people.

I find this line of thinking interesting and wonder if it can apply to other areas?

For example, if Lebron James wasn't born with such great genetics, it's likely he wouldn't have been a "once in a generation" NBA superstar, and instead just a really good rec league player.

Or, if Marilyn Monroe wasn't so attractive, it's likely she wouldn't have been a cultural icon, and instead just an average D-list actress.

Zhou Qunfei, the founder of Lens Technology, came from a very poor background and dropped out of high school at 16 to work at a factory. She eventually started her own company when the factory closed.

This makes me wonder which "stable" country currently has the least amount of generational wealth.

I would assume China, due to the Cultural Revolution. From what I recall, all of their billionaires are currently first generation. But we will see as time goes on.

Or maybe South Korea since they were were colonized for a long time and suffered through a recentish, direct war.