EFN

Strange as it may sound, the amount of financial success you achieve may only be as much as your ring finger is long. In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and conducted by British researchers at Cambridge University, scientists discovered that the length of a financial trader’s ring finger has a direct correlation to his financial successes.

These findings are based upon previous research which has demonstrated that the length ratio between the ring finger and the index finger, known as 2D:4D, can be used as a reliable measure of prenatal exposure to testosterone; the lower the ratio, the greater the prenatal exposure. The Cambridge study assessed the 2D:4D ratio of 44 financial traders in London, finding that traders with a lower ratio were more apt to have longer and successful financial careers, and earned an average of 11 times more than their short-fingered counterparts over the course of the 20 week study.

Researchers suggest that this correlation is a reflection of the effect of prenatal exposure to testosterone, or the “aggression” hormone. This early influx of testosterone is believed to cause increased sensitivity to testosterone in adulthood, leading to heightened confidence, risk-taking behaviors, and improved concentration, all of which equip traders with the skills they need to be successful on the market.

The findings of this study suggest that biological traits may be just as integral to success as experience, perhaps making testosterone just as big a player in the Wall Street world as it’s commonly perceived to be in the world of athletics.