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Lifestyle

11th Jun 2017

If you’re the oldest brother in your family, science says you’ll be more successful

You never doubted this...

Rory Cashin

There is a positive and a negative side to being the first born in your family…

According to a study and report published by IZA Institute, being the eldest son in your family makes you more likely to be successful in business, but that is primarily because your parents treat you as something of a guinea pig.

If you are the first born son, you are 24% more likely than the second born to land a high-powered position (i.e. CEO), and 28% more likely than the third born.

First-borns are have increased amounts of leadership characteristics, while their later-born siblings are more likely to spend much less time reading or doing their homework while in school.

This isn’t a biological thing, as the testing shows that siblings who had their older brothers pass away, which then made them the eldest brother, would then take on more leadership traits.

Nope, it looks like it comes down to your parents, as they are far more likely to be stricter with the first-borns than any of the later children.

Parents have higher-expectations of their children before they’ve had more than one, so expect less from their kids as the number of kids they have gets higher.

If that makes it sound like anything but the oldest brother gets a harsh deal, don’t worry, there is an upside to your situation, as younger siblings are more likely to be self-employed and go into business for themselves.

For example, both Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg have older siblings, and last time we checked, they were both doing just fine.