A bit of an odd paper. It could have been titled "Are smarter and taller 18 year olds more successful when they turn 50?".<p>> CEOs have higher cognitive and non-cognitive ability scores and are taller than typical members of the population.<p>The authors don't seem to consider wealth as a critical factor here.<p>Here's my hypothesis. CEOs usually come from higher income families. These families were provided with better education and sustenance over generations, thus these CEOs benefit from these advantages.