He’s the man of many films, having starred in Twilight, Gone With the Wind, and the upcoming Maze Runner. But is he the most talented man alive? According to biochemist and molecular biologist Professor Richard Harris, the English hunk might just be able to hang up his acting stardom and walk away with the title.
Harris, who made his name after discovering and proving the existence of the HIV virus, has come up with a formula to determine a person’s ‘fame score’. By combining a person’s net worth with the worldwide popularity of their products and talents, he’s able to come up with an estimate of that person’s ‘fame’ – which can range from 1 to 100.
Harris’ formula takes into account money earned from starring roles in movies and TV shows; royalties from books, songs, and album sales; and endorsement deals, speaking engagements, and product placements. So, for example, if you include the money made from the Twilight films, the worldwide gross of those films, and the fact that he’s a brand ambassador for both Apple and Virgin products, Harris says that Robert Pattinson’s formula score is 90.
He’s Worth More Than You’d Think
While Harris’ formula might come as a bit of a surprise, it’s actually not that far removed from the old ‘True Achiever’ rating system. First devised by Future Inc. in 1955, the True Achiever rating system was designed to analyse the wealth and fame of prominent individuals. The name was later changed to the Forbes 400 list in the 1960s.
The list included only 400 people at the time, which dropped to 373 in the year 2000. Since then, the number of billionaires has doubled to 764, with an estimated collective net worth of over US$1 trillion.
Now, obviously, not all billionaires are created equal. There are a number of inherent flaws with the Forbes list, including limited representation from female billionaires and an emphasis on material wealth over skills and knowledge. However, considering that Forbes’ ‘top 400′ is still used today as a yardstick of relative wealth and fame, it’s clear that some element of the system has caught on.
What about you? Do you think that Robert Pattinson is the most talented man alive?