Why Jewish people are so successful?

[Asking Questions]

Mark Zuckerberg made Facebook history today which he enter his stocks at Wall Street. He is already a billionaire and maybe the richest kid in America. of course, he is a Jew. In science, philosophy, mathematics, invention, etc, many successful people are Jewish or Jewish descent. People always saying that Asian have it made but evidence shows Jewish people.

[Helios]

Many people who are persecuted are just a slightly bit more thoughtful than somebody who has no experience with this. This gives them a slight edge on education and careful thought. Obviously they don't differ genetically from anybody else - it's just that they've been so horrifically persecuted. Many of my Jewish friends tell this that this is often on their minds.

[Sunday Crone]

People who are intelligence, focus and willing to work hard, it has nothing to do with religion.

[Yellow]

I believe they are gods chosen people. Read the bible it will explain everything.

[Mind2Mind]

I doubt it because of their religion but it also called networking and working within your own group. I Hope you do realize being Jew has nothing to do with race. Because any race can be a Jew just like Muslims.

[Lonely Suburbanite]

Because it's who you know, not what you know. aka Networking

If my mommy, daddy or daddy's friend owned or was high up in a corporation, he could easily get me a high-paying job that could make me rich and successful

[Yvon Ducharme]

Well, I have to disagree that all Jewish people are successful. Of course Jews may claim this is true but I can't agree. The top 10 wealthiest and most successful people in the world are all gentiles. Now, to the question of why the ones who are successful are successful, well, there are a number of reasons this could be true. I think their success is due in part to legitimate hard work and intelligence just like anyone elses success, but also i think that in US there is a level of reverse racism that exists in regards to those of Jewish lineage. I think this is set up in such a way that it caters to Jews, and perhaps gives them a little boost that others don't receive. There is no other country on the planet, per capita or otherwise, where jews have reached the level of success they have in the US. Not one. The "success" s you have chosen to call it that you see in Jewish-Americans has a lot to do with their mass involvement in American media and propaganda. I guarantee there are more than 10 times the amount of successful gentiles that have been snubbed in the US to make room for a half talented Jewish person, than there are successful jews.

EDIT: FYI, Mark Zuckerberg stole his networking idea from 2 Dutch-American gentiles, who were also allstar rowing athletes in college.

[Andy L.]

Although genetic factors cannot be 100% ruled out, it probably is not that. It is also not the religion itself. It probably is not the persecution history either as that is more a result than a cause.

The most likely is cultural, and there are common aspects to the Asian culture.
The two biggest factors are the stress of the importance of education, and to some extent making that education aimed at monetary worth, but that is not universal. It is also a patience of waiting for rewards.
Good grades in school, hard work, advanced degrees, professional careers are common. There are factors in networking, bt that is industry related. Jewish people also have an unusual history in comedy and the entertainment fields and you can look up actors, actresses, and comedians over the last 100 years in the United States and see a disproportionately high number. Included in professional is the legal industry and politics, so there is a disproportionate number of Senators and Representatives. And also in finance and the corporate world, and in technology as that is all related to education and profssional careers.
In the patience, it is the willingness to put in hard work now for a better tomorrow. In a choice of receiving $100 now or $200 guaranteed in 6 years, the Jewish heritage would say wait. The general public would typically grab the $100 and have it spent within a couple of hours.

It is culture and the way people are raised and their community. This is also true for Asians who had the highest average income as a measured race in the United States for a number of years. A surprising number of Asians have advanced degrees, work as professionals, and will put in the hard work for a better future.

Zuckerberg was already listed on Forbes 400 in Sept 2011 as done every year at #14.
The US is 2.1% Jewish as 39% of the world's Jewish people as an ethnic race
As a group, American Jews tend to be better educated and earn more than Americans as a whole. Forty-six percent report family incomes of over $100,000 compared to 19% of all Americans, with the next highest group being Hindus at 43%. And while 27% of Americans have had college or postgraduate education, fifty-nine percent of American Jews have, the second highest of any religious group after American Hindus.

Either of these two statistics may be confounded by the fact that the Jewish population is on average older than other religious groups in the country, with 51% of polled adults over the age of 50 compared to 41% nationally. Older people tend to both have higher income and be more highly educated.
<<< Noted Jewish heritage, or part Jewish, regardless of religious or personal belief, and may not be 100% accurate
1 Bill Gates $59 B 55 Microsoft
2 Warren Buffett $39 B Berkshire Hathaway
3 Larry Ellison $33 B Oracle <<<
4 Charles Koch $25 B diversified <<<
4 David Koch $25 B diversified <<<
6 Christy Walton $24.5 B Wal-Mart
7 George Soros $22 B hedge funds <<<
8 Sheldon Adelson $21.5 B casinos <<<
9 Jim Walton $21.1 B Wal-Mart
10 Alice Walton $20.9 B Wal-Mart
11 S. Robson Walton $20.5 B Wal-Mart
12 Michael Bloomberg $19.5 B Bloomberg LP <<<
13 Jeff Bezos $19.1 B Amazon.com
14 Mark Zuckerberg $17.5 B Facebook <<<
15 Sergey Brin $16.7 B Google <<<
15 Larry Page $16.7 B Google <<< (Jewish Mother)
17 John Paulson $15.5 B hedge funds <<<
18 Michael Dell $15 B Dell (Jewish father)
19 Steve Ballmer $13.9 B Microsoft <<< Jewish mother
20 Forrest Mars $13.8 B candy
20 Jacqueline Mars $13.8 B candy
20 John Mars $13.8 B candy, pet food
23 Paul Allen $13.2 B Microsoft, investments <<<
24 Phil Knight $13.1 B Nike
25 Carl Icahn $13 B 75 leveraged buyouts
26 Donald Bren $12 B real estate <<< Jewish father
26 Anne Cox Chambers $12 B media <<<
26 Ronald Perelman $12 B leveraged buyouts <<<
29 Abigail Johnson $11.7 B Fidelity
30 James Simons $10.6 B hedge funds <<<