I disagree to the comment about flunking out of college. Most members do quite well, as you would imagine, with post-secondary education which is undergraduate, graduate and post-grad. Some have multiple PhDs, in the order of 6 or 7. On the flip side, some do lack the social skills to adequately interact with professors to garner that extra edge to succeed. And of course, some do not finish their school. In any population, there are no absolutes; there's the majority swimming around the middle of the bell curve and those who make it to the tails of any normal distribution. With such a small population though, I find it safe to say that most have attained the highest forms of education you'll find anywhere.
Now take a look at this:
http://www.eskimo.com/~miyaguch/grady/emptypromise.html
To summarize, do those with high IQs necessarily have a significant advantage to succeed?
To address your second point about success (as in a job), I partially agree with it. A higher IQ doesn't translate into a higher salary, per se. It does at the 110-140 level because this level is required to get through college, and an undergrad degree is necessary for a career that will sustain yourself or a family. IQ beyond that (140+) won't get you that CEO job necessarily, but it should be sufficient to become a mathematician, particle physicist, or member of a think-tank. The positive correlation does taper off at the high end because the high paying jobs actually require more fortitude and determination than anything else. To be an investment banker you need to have a college degree or MBA, be willing to work ~90-120 hours a week, be a team player, and do whatever it takes. In these types of jobs, creativity is thrown out the window. That's why people with high IQs don't do these jobs; after a while they become so mundane and boring there's no more need to do them! The old adage: the world is run by "C" students rings true.
When the subject of IQ comes up, it is funny to see how people react. Your reaction is pretty defensive. It's not really the reaction I'd expect from these boards. I was actually looking more for interest rather than disdain. Also, an IQ of 176 is the minimum IQ required for entrance into Mega, not the ceiling. Members come from all walk of life and have unique interests. Our main similarity is that we like to solve problems, either fabricated or real-life. In the two careers I've had, I've worked with some very highly intelligent folks who do their jobs extremely well. Noone could get beyond a fraction right on the Mega or Titan tests. You can talk about the problems and even do some, but very few take the entire test, and even fewer get a 43/48. Don't talk the talk, if you can't walk the walk.
As an adult (let's say around 24 and finished with school) if you're successful you should be able to make enough money to support yourself at the bare minimum. When you start out, you're probably not making a hell of a lot. Even $50,000 is not a lot today! But as you become more proficient and acquire more responsibilities, you should eventually be making more and have enough to support yourself well, take a vacation or two, or even support a family. I worked in consulting for a decade and saw my salary triple over time. As of now, I'm doing a job I love, am married with a large family, have built my second house (over 6000 sq. ft. on an acre), can take vacations, and pretty much coast the rest of the way. I've used my powers for good and am pretty damn proud of the results. This last stuff I should never have to say, but I'm saying it because it has to be said.
I suggest that anyone here go for it!