To be #1 like Tao requires being a born genius -- recognized as a prodigy by the age of 5, extremely well supported by ambitious parents, and having a lifelong

To be #1 like Tao requires being a born genius -- recognized as a prodigy by the age of 5, extremely well supported by ambitious parents, and having a lifelong insatiable curiosity and work ethic. It takes a bit less to be an average mathematician, though.