Why Are Jews Superior with Money?

How could the same people produce both Milton Friedman and Karl Marx? Both Noam Chomsky and Ludwig von Mises? Both Ayn Rand and Eduard Bernstein? How could 0.2% of the world give rise to the most influential right-wing economists and the most important left-wing economists? And beyond ideology, how could they build the world's most important businesses, from Google to Oracle to Facebook? How could they invent everything from the first department store in history to promissory notes, from modern banking to the kibbutz? Where does this ability come from?

They were forbidden to own land. Barred from bearing arms. Exiled from courts of power. For centuries, the Jews had no kings, armies, or borders to defend. So they built defenses in the only realm left free, their mind.

Today, Jews excel in banking, startups, economics, and innovation, not because of privilege, but because of a legacy forged through relentless adversity and mental discipline. This is the true story, and it is far more fascinating than the myths that surround it.

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Throughout the history of the Jewish people, distinct characteristics have emerged that contributed to their excellence in economics. An understanding of these processes requires a multidisciplinary perspective.

1. A Deep Computational and Textual Foundation

Jewish culture, above all, has long placed a profound emphasis on learning, meticulous study, and systematic engagement with written texts — most notably the Torah, the Talmud, and the expansive corpus of rabbinical jurisprudence. This enduring tradition of deep textual analysis, sensitivity to nuance, logical inference, and complex reasoning requiring calculation and dissection, cultivated within a dynamic atmosphere of debate, forged a remarkably robust intellectual framework. Over generations, such rigorous cognitive practices not only shaped enduring cultural habits but also contributed to the development of measurable genetic advantages in abstract reasoning and complex problem-solving. The unique interplay between cultural immersion and inherited cognitive traits laid the groundwork for the conception, development, and innovation of sophisticated economic systems.

2. External Perspective and Pattern Recognition

Secondly, the Jewish experience as a distinct minority fostered the ability to observe human activity in general, and economic activity in particular, from an external perspective. Unlike societies where most individuals were deeply embedded in the local economy as farmers, warriors, or craftsmen, Jews developed a reflective approach. They were required to recognize patterns, analyze them from a distance, and extract strategic insights without being fully absorbed into the immediate material framework.

3. Historical Constraints and Dual-Sided Thinking

Historically, Jews were often prohibited from owning land. Conversely, rulers frequently employed Jews in roles such as financial intermediaries, tax collectors, and asset managers. This unique position required a deep understanding of both sides of the economic system: that of property owners and that of the laboring or subject classes.

Practically speaking, this unique position required Jews to develop a deep and nuanced understanding of both sides of every transaction, the lessor and the lessee, the buyer and the seller. This dual perspective, the ability to accurately map needs, interests, and constraints from multiple vantage points, evolved into a fundamental skill set for mastering market dynamics. It fostered exceptional abilities in mediation, risk management, strategic planning, and the anticipation of emerging trends.

4. High Cognitive Abilities

There is research evidence suggesting that, on average, certain Jewish communities (particularly Ashkenazi Jews) exhibit higher general intelligence compared to other populations. This likely emerged through biological, social and historical selection pressures in environments where survival demanded high cognitive performance. It contributed significantly to excellence in fields requiring logical, computational, and creative thinking - including economics, mathematics, physics, art, literature and music.

5. Wealth as a Means of Survival

For centuries, Jews often lacked the ability to physically defend themselves. Restrictions on bearing arms, expulsions, and continuous persecutions forced them to develop alternative strategies for survival. Financial capital, portable, flexible, and independent of land, became a central tool for self-protection, for emergency escape, and for securing the future of their communities. Over time, this necessity shaped a tradition of prudent, strategic, and far-sighted capital management.

A combination of intense scholarly tradition, reflective external thinking, historical economic constraints, developed cognitive abilities, and a deep understanding of market dynamics from both sides, together with the existential need to survive through financial means, created a significant advantage for the Jewish people in economic fields.

This excellence is not the result of simple innate traits or historical myth, but of a cultural, biological and historical dynamic that deserves understanding and appreciation.