Your Youngest Sibling Is More Likely To Be A Successful Millionaire, According To Research (2024)

When you're the youngest sibling in your family, it can feel like the world is against you and you don't get the attention you deserve. But when you're trying to determine the best ways to be successful, the youngest child may have a better chance than everyone else.

If you have a younger sibling, you may want to reframe your goals for the future because, as it turns out, the youngest sibling has an advantage over their older brothers or sisters.

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Is the youngest child the most successful?

According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, the answer is yes — youngest children tend to be the most successful of their siblings.

The research found that the youngest sibling in a family is way more likely to take risks in their developing careers, and thus end up far more successful and way more likely to be a millionaire. Researchers say this because the youngest kid has a natural tendency to rebel.

The study found that the youngest children are more likely to be their own bosses.

This is supposed to reveal their "rebellious" temperament, but it kind of seems like the most logical choice after an entire childhood of people insisting that they are the boss of you.

RELATED: Study Confirms Kids Get Their Intelligence From Their Mom

My youngest brother is a poster child for this study. He's finishing the final year of a graduate program at a super-prestigious university and already has a ridiculously great job lined up for himself.

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But this study doesn't say anything about brains. In fact, research done on that score still indicates that it is the oldest who is the smartest sibling. (I believe it. As the oldest, it was my responsibility to teach my father how to read. Still, that's cold comfort when I'm cleaning houses in addition to my day job just to make ends meet.)

This is ultimately a study about personality, not about success in life. But it's refreshing to read research that doesn't equate amassing wealth with success.

I don't know about you, but it will be a whole lot easier to fall asleep at night knowing that while my brother might one day have a money bank the likes of which would inspire even Scrooge McDuck to see green (with jealousy, not currency), there is a very strong likelihood that he's not smart enough to find his way out of said money bank once he jumps in for a swim.

This study says absolutely nothing about the middle child of the family because the study in itself is actually also another study being performed to see just how much mistreatment a middle child can handle before they totally snap.

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RELATED: How Birth Order Bizarrely Affects Your Kids' Personalities

Rebecca Jane Stokes is a freelance writer, editor, former Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek, and former Senior Staff Writer for YourTango. She has a passion for lifestyle, geek news, and true crime topics. Her bylines have appeared on Fatherly, Bustle, SheKnows, Jezebel, and many others.

Your Youngest Sibling Is More Likely To Be A Successful Millionaire, According To Research (2024)

FAQs

Your Youngest Sibling Is More Likely To Be A Successful Millionaire, According To Research? ›

The research found that the youngest sibling in a family is way more likely to take risks in their developing careers, and thus end up far more successful and way more likely to be a millionaire. Researchers say this because the youngest kid has a natural tendency to rebel.

Which sibling is most likely to be a millionaire? ›

The study went on to claim that with families with two siblings in it, the youngest was 49 percent more likely to experiment with entrepreneurship and become his or her own boss. And in families with three siblings in it, the youngest was 43 percent more likely to. That is almost 2-1 odds!

Are younger siblings more successful than older siblings? ›

An NBER working paper found older siblings tended to make more money than their younger siblings. Higher hospitalization rates among younger siblings could affect their future earnings. Prior research has documented a similar trend in siblings' earnings and outcomes.

Which sibling is usually the richest? ›

You're more likely to make more money if you're an older sibling—and now researchers think they know why. Older siblings come out ahead on a number of metrics.

Which sibling is most likely to be the most successful? ›

First-born kids tend to be leaders, like CEOS and founders, and are more likely to achieve traditional success. Middle-born children often embody a mix of the traits of older and younger siblings, and they're very relationship-focused.

Which sibling makes the most money? ›

Older siblings tended to make more money than their younger siblings, per BI and NBER. For years, researchers have observed a trend where the eldest child tends to earn more money and perform better on cognitive tests than their younger siblings.

Which sibling becomes the most successful? ›

Your success in life may be influenced by your birth order, according to the economist Sandra E. Black. Black points to research she and her colleagues have conducted that found that firstborns tend to be smarter, richer, and all-around more successful than their younger siblings.

Is it better to be the youngest or oldest sibling? ›

Many researchers have found that the oldest child in a family is likely to have higher intelligence and perform better in school than subsequent siblings, probably because they were the only child for a period of time and received all of their parents' attention during infancy and early childhood.

Do first born children end up more financially successful? ›

In fact, they're used to climbing to the top in business as well: More CEOs are firstborn than any other place in the birth order. The first-borns almost always bear the majority of responsibility out of all the kids in a family.

Are middle siblings more successful? ›

Far from being doomed to failure and loneliness, middle children are more likely than their siblings to be successful and enjoy strong social lives and flourishing careers.

Who is the #1 richest family? ›

To find out which clans hold the most wealth, Stacker compiled a list of the 20 richest families in America using 2024 data from Forbes.
  • #8. Cathy family. ...
  • #7. S.C. ...
  • #6. Pritzker family. ...
  • #5. Edward Johnson family. ...
  • #4. Cargill-MacMillan family. ...
  • #3. Koch family. ...
  • #2. Mars family. ...
  • #1. Walton family. - Net worth: $267 billion.
3 days ago

Do younger siblings make more money? ›

Older kids, on average, have slightly higher IQs than their younger siblings, do better in school, and tend to earn more money as adults, as abundant research has shown.

Who is the 2 richest kid? ›

As the second child of Prince William and Kate Middleton, her inheritance includes vast land holdings, priceless art collections, and future access to the Crown Estate. 2. Prince George Alexander Louis: Following closely behind his sister is Prince George, boasting a net worth of $3.6 billion.

Why is the youngest sibling most successful? ›

The research found that the youngest sibling in a family is way more likely to take risks in their developing careers, and thus end up far more successful and way more likely to be a millionaire. Researchers say this because the youngest kid has a natural tendency to rebel.

Which sibling usually has the highest IQ? ›

A new study shows that first-born children tend to be smarter than their siblings and second-born children are more likely to cause trouble. The University of Edinburgh study reported that the oldest child tends to have a higher IQ and thinking skills than their younger siblings.

Do first-born siblings have higher IQ? ›

To be precise, the study concluded that on average first-borns achieved IQ scores 1.5 points higher than second-born who were 1.5 higher than third and so on. In this same study, no noticeable personality traits differed between siblings which is evidence to denounce theories that birth order affects one's personality.

Which sibling is most likely to be the smartest? ›

A new study shows that first-born children tend to be smarter than their siblings and second-born children are more likely to cause trouble. The University of Edinburgh study reported that the oldest child tends to have a higher IQ and thinking skills than their younger siblings.

What age group has the most millionaires? ›

Millionaires — those who have a net worth of at least $1 million —are, perhaps not surprisingly, on the older end. They're predominantly 55 and older; just 2.4% are under the age of 35.

Is there a kids who wants to be a millionaire? ›

Kids Edition is a video game based off of the U.S. version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

Is the middle child the most successful? ›

Outstanding Qualities of Middle Children

Some well-known middle children have been or continue to be great negotiators, trailblazers, and fighters for justice. Among them are Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Charles Darwin, Madonna, Bill Gates, and Nabisco CEO Michael Gerstner.

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