Money Talks: Psychopathy and Success

In this episode of Slate Money, host Elizabeth Spires speaks with Dr. Leanne Tenbrink, an associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of 'Poisonous People,' about the intersection of dark personality traits—particularly psychopathy—and success in high-stakes environments like hedge fund management. Drawing on her research at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Tenbrink reveals that hedge fund managers exhibiting psychopathic traits actually underperformed financially, earning about 1% less annually than their peers, with compounding losses over time. Despite the popular myth that psychopaths thrive in competitive business settings, the data suggests the opposite. The conversation explores how traits like manipulation, emotional shallowness, impulsivity, and grandiosity—while sometimes mistaken for leadership qualities like confidence and decisiveness—often lead to toxic workplace cultures, high turnover, and organizational dysfunction. Tenbrink emphasizes that these traits exist on a spectrum and that even moderate levels can have outsized negative impacts, especially when individuals in power are not held accountable. She offers practical strategies for coping with such leaders, including establishing common ground, softening feedback, and setting explicit boundaries. The episode also addresses the dangerous overlap between neurodiversity labels and the justification of harmful behavior, clarifying that while some traits like impulsivity may co-occur with ADHD or autism, the core callousness and manipulation of psychopathy are distinct. Ultimately, the discussion underscores the societal cost of unchecked dark traits—estimated at $5 trillion annually in the U.S. due to crime—and advocates for early intervention, particularly through reward-based behavioral therapy, as a cost-effective solution.