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Success: Talent, Intelligence or Beauty?

Author

Listed:
  • Olivier Gergaud
  • Victor Ginsburgh

Abstract

We analyze the Celebrity 100 annual list of the world's most “powerful celebrities” compiled and published by Forbes Magazine. The lists provide an interesting collection of people, that includes their earnings, and the perception of citizens concerning the attributes that made them become celebrities.We analyze the relationship between their earnings and the perceptions on their intelligence, talent, beauty and other attributes, and show that though beauty plays a role, intelligence and talent are more important.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Gergaud & Victor Ginsburgh, 2010. "Success: Talent, Intelligence or Beauty?," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2010-046, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    • Handle: RePEc:eca:wpaper:2013/69477
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Parker, Amy, 2005. "Beauty in the classroom: instructors' pulchritude and putative pedagogical productivity," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(4), pages 369-376, August.
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    3. Pfann, Gerard A. & Biddle, Jeff E. & Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Bosman, Ciska M., 2000. "Business success and businesses' beauty capital," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 201-207, May.
    4. Price, Michael K., 2008. "Fund-raising success and a solicitor's beauty capital: Do blondes raise more funds?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 100(3), pages 351-354, September.
    5. Johnston, David W., 2010. "Physical appearance and wages: Do blondes have more fun?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 10-12, July.
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. When will I be famous?
      by fiveminuteeconomist in Five Minute Economist on 2011-01-03 00:18:20

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Earnings; Economic success; Talent;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C4 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics
    • J3 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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