Wanted: psychopaths to make a killing in the markets

Research revealed that the best wheeler-dealers could well be "functional psychopaths". A team of U.S. scientists has found the emotionally impaired are more willing to gamble for high stakes and that people with brain damage may make good financial decisions.

In a study of investors' behavior 41 people with normal IQs were asked to play a simple investment game. Fifteen of the group had suffered lesions on the areas of the brain that affect emotions.

The result was those with brain damage outperformed those without.

It's not surprising that many company chiefs and top lawyers may also show they share the same trait.