First-borns are doing best in the boardroom

A survey suggests the world's boardrooms are dominated by big brother and sister.

Of 1,583 chief executive officers asked about their order of birth, 43 per cent said they were born first, way ahead of the 23 per cent born last and the 33 per cent who landed somewhere in the middle.

The poll, published by USA Today newspaper, comes weeks after a report in the journal Science concluded that eldest children tend to have a higher IQ and achieve more in school than their siblings.

The new study appears to show they go on to put their educational advantage to good use.

Among the first-born quoted in the survey were Microsoft boss Steve Balmer, Andrea Jung of Avon cosmetics and investment tycoon Charles Schwab, one of the world's richest men.

Successful British first-borns include Sir Richard Branson and JK Rowling.

The statistics were calculated from a questionnaire sent to members by Vistage, the world's largest CEO organisation.

Among the reasons given by the bosses for their success was that they got the undivided attention, at least for a while, of their parents.

They also said they had felt the pressure of greater expectations and were forced to become self-sufficient with no older brother or sister to look after them.

Psychology professor Ben Dattner, of New York University, said first-born children rise to the top because they are often more confident, assertive, conscientious and fearful of losing position and rank.

But he says there is evidence they are not always the best bosses - those born later are more likely to take risks and challenge the status quo.