Is Becoming a Superhero Economically Prudent?

Julian Hwang of West Virginia University and Dongso Lee of the Korea Rural Economic Institute publish in the Journal of Cultural Economics the results of their study of the economic valuation of being a superhero. Unfortunately, I do not have access to the full article--just to the abstract.

Personally, when I encounter stories of people gaining superpowers, such as the 2006-2010 television series Heroes,  I am struck by the responses of characters to their new abilities. If I had a superpower--any superpower--my first question would be "How can I use this power to get wealthy?" I would also keep that ability a secret in order to maximize my wealth-acquisition usage and reduce the potential of my enslavement by powerful organizations.

-via Marginal Revolution


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People who use their powers to enrich themselves are not superheroes but supervillains. The writer mentioned /Heroes/ but seems to have missed a major point made there, where Hiro grasps this principle. Hiro's use of his power to control time to gain money, not to do good but simply for money's sake, results in a frightening lesson, which he learns. He won't do it again.
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