Definitely not just one hand (ex: HFT), but perhaps you can count them using 3-4 hands. The nature of most compiler work is that you're pushing the boundary of

Definitely not just one hand (ex: HFT), but perhaps you can count them using 3-4 hands. The nature of most compiler work is that you're pushing the boundary of what's been done, which in academia is almost exclusively done by the top 1% researchers. And HFT is obviously winner take all, which further favors top performers.