Estimates suggest that
4% to 12% of CEOs and corporate leaders exhibit clinically significant psychopathic or sociopathic traits. This is significantly higher than the general population, where the rate is roughly 1%, and is more in line with the prevalence found in prison populations. [
1,
2]
While a widely reported 2016 study suggested a figure as high as 21%, subsequent psychological reviews indicate that rate may have been conflated with general corporate managers and the data has been heavily debated by experts
Why the Disparity?
Certain traits associated with sociopathy or psychopathy—such as fearlessness, charm, ruthlessness, and a lack of empathy—can ironically be advantageous for climbing the corporate ladder in highly competitive, high-stakes business environments. [
1,
2]
For a deeper dive into how researchers study this phenomenon, you can read more via the
Forbes breakdown or this
Psychology Today analysis of corporate psychopaths