I believe at least part of the answer is that many of the would be geniuses went into financial services. Ed Thorp and Jim Simons come to mind as examples of pe

I believe at least part of the answer is that many of the would be geniuses went into financial services. Ed Thorp and Jim Simons come to mind as examples of people who made important contributions in mathematics, but spent a substantial chunk of their lives figuring out how to take money from people who are dumber than they are.