Which Life Path Numbers Appear Most in Billionaires and Fantasy Authors– and Why That Might Matter
Life Path Numbers of Billionaires and Fantasy Authors: A Comparative Analysis
I’ve always been intrigued by symbolic systems like numerology—not because I think they predict outcomes, but because they offer language for patterns we often sense but struggle to articulate. So I decided to see what might happen when one of those systems met actual data.
Using the Life Path number framework popularized by Dan Millman, I analyzed two very different groups of high achievers:
The 2024 Forbes 400 richest Americans (with birthdays available for 359 of them)
A handpicked sample of 112 top fantasy authors, past and present
Methodology
Life Path Numbers were calculated using Dan Millman’s method, which reduces a person’s full date of birth to a single-digit number. Master numbers 11, 22, and 33 were reduced to 2, 4, and 6.
To interpret the data meaningfully, I created carefully matched control groups for each sample, based on age distribution. That way, we’re not just comparing billionaires or authors to the general population—we’re comparing them to what’s statistically normal for their generational cohort. This helps make sure that any standout Life Path patterns aren’t just birthdate quirks, but potential reflections of the kinds of energy that tend to show up in certain kinds of success.
For both groups, I then measured how much each Life Path number was over- or underrepresented compared to its control. These differences formed the basis for exploring which patterns might align with high-achieving individuals.
Fantasy Authors: Full Life Path Comparison
| Life Path # | Fantasy Authors % | Matched Random Control % | Difference | Possible Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.14% | 11.00% | –3.86% | Individuality, leadership |
| 2 | 9.82% | 20.00% | –10.18% | Support, emotional sensitivity |
| 3 | 18.75% | 11.10% | +7.65% | Creativity, communication |
| 4 | 13.39% | 7.40% | +5.99% | Structure, grounded focus | 5 | 14.29% | 10.60% | +3.69% | Freedom, change, unpredictability | 6 | 4.46% | 7.00% | –2.54% | Responsibility, family, care | 7 | 7.14% | 11.10% | –3.96% | Introspection, depth, spirituality | 8 | 9.82% | 10.80% | –0.98% | Power, achievement | 9 | 15.18% | 11.00% | +4.18% | Idealism, purpose, humanity |
Fantasy Authors Life Path number Occurrences
Percentage
Fantasy Authors: What the Numbers show
Looking at the chart and graph above, fantasy authors in this dataset were most overrepresented in Life Paths 3, 4, and 9, and most underrepresented in 2, 6, 7, and 1.
3 had the largest positive deviation from expected values, suggesting a strong lean toward communicative or expressive energies.
4 followed closely, pointing to a possible emphasis on structure, planning, and follow-through.
9 was also elevated, suggesting some alignment with themes of purpose or legacy.
In contrast, 2 and 6 (often linked to support or caretaking) were among the lowest. Life Paths 1 and 7—which relate more to solitary drive or inner reflection—were also underrepresented.
While interpretation can vary, these patterns offer a window into which numerological energies may be more common among authors who successfully build imaginative worlds. What they mean, however, becomes more interesting when compared to a very different group.
But does this same pattern show up in a field that operates completely differently?
Forbes 400: Full Life Path Comparison
| Life Path # | Forbes 400 % | Matched Random Control % | Difference | Possible Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.78% | 10.89% | –1.12% | Self-leadership, ambition |
| 2 | 10.06% | 12.85% | –2.79% | Emotional harmony, cooperation |
| 3 | 13.13% | 10.61% | +2.52% | Expression, charisma |
| 4 | 13.69% | 9.22% | +4.47% | Systems, structure, diligence | 5 | 10.89% | 12.57% | +0.01% | Adaptability, movement | 6 | 10.34% | 12.57% | –2.23% | Service, responsibility | 7 | 10.89% | 10.34% | +0.56% | Strategy, introspection | 8 | 9.22% | 10.34% | –1.12% | Power, control, wealth | 9 | 12.01% | 10.61% | +1.40% | Vision, impact, humanitarianism |
Forbes 400 Life Path number Occurrences
Percentage
Forbes Billionaires: What the Numbers show
Among the billionaires in this dataset, the strongest lean was toward Life Path 4—a number tied to systems, structure, and long-term discipline. This tracks with how many reach billionaire status: through repeated, grounded effort, often involving company-building, strategic navigation of bureaucracy, or mastery of complex systems. It’s less “overnight success” and more foundation over flash.
Life Path 3 was also elevated. Associated with communication, charisma, and visibility, this may reflect the growing power of personal branding—how influence often depends on the ability to tell a compelling story. Public figures like Elon Musk or Oprah don’t just lead businesses; they shape narratives.
Life Path 9, linked to vision and legacy, also appeared more frequently than expected. Even in capital-driven contexts, there may be an arc of purpose—whether genuine or strategic—framing a billionaire’s role in society.
Together, 3, 4, and 9 suggest a kind of high-agency triad: expressive influence, disciplined action, and long-view impact. Not inherently good or bad—just potent. And when paired with access, privilege, or control, that potency can scale into world-shaping outcomes.
Comparing (forbes 400) to Traditional Numerology:
| Life Path # | Symbolic Meaning | Observation From Data |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Independence, leadership | Underrepresented in both groups |
| 2 | Cooperation, emotion, harmony | Dramatically low in authors; low in Forbes |
| 3 | Creativity, expression | Strongly elevated in both groups |
| 4 | Discipline, form, building | Strongly elevated in both groups |
| 5 | Freedom, change | Elevated in authors, neutral in Forbes |
| 6 | Responsibility, caregiving | Slightly low in both groups |
| 7 | Introspection, spiritual logic | Low in authors, slightly up in Forbes |
| 8 | Power, mastery, ambition | Slightly lower in Forbes |
| 9 | Vision, impact, universal concern | Elevated in both |
Life Path 8 is traditionally associated with power, material success, and executive energy—sometimes even called “the money number.” But in my analysis, it was slightly underrepresented among the Forbes 400.
This is important. It suggests that billionaire status might not stem from the kind of raw personal drive 8 symbolizes. Instead, the overrepresentation of Life Path 4 implies that systemic thinking, long-range planning, and persistence may play a bigger role in building extreme wealth.
It’s possible that 8 energy is more visible in self-made small business owners, people who value autonomy, or those who seek personal mastery without empire-building. In contrast, 4 might be better suited to navigating or leveraging large-scale structures (corporate, financial, legal).
More broadly, it raises the question: Is immense wealth the best measure of success? If Life Path 8 doesn’t dominate among billionaires, perhaps billionaire status isn’t even the fullest expression of material mastery. The Forbes list measures capital accumulation—not cultural influence, human impact, or creative contribution. And maybe, in a deeper way, that’s a flawed mirror of what success really means.
| Life Path # | Group | Difference | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Authors | –10.18% | Strong underuse of emotional energy |
| 3 | Authors | +7.65% | High expression and creativity |
| 4 | Forbes | +4.47% | Structural success archetype |
| 4 | Authors | +5.99% | Creativity backed by grounded form |
| 9 | Authors | +4.18% | Idealistic or purpose-driven energy |
Significant Standouts (4%+ Difference):
These are the most statistically noticeable patterns, with percentage differences above 4%.
The most notable outliers reflect how differently these two groups operate. Fantasy authors strongly under-indexed on Life Path 2—associated with emotional sensitivity and collaboration—while showing a sharp spike in 3, 4, and 9, suggesting an emphasis on expression, structure, and purpose.
In contrast, Forbes billionaires showed their strongest rise in Life Path 4, emphasizing grounded, structural success. Notably, they had no traits with a 4%+ decrease, suggesting a more evenly distributed pattern overall, with fewer extremes—perhaps reflecting the diverse paths to financial accumulation.
These differences reinforce that while some archetypes show up across both groups, each also carries its own energetic signature.
Compared Deviation from Expected Life Path number Distribution
Percentage Point Difference from Control
This graph compares how much each Life Path number deviates from its expected rate in the general population, for both fantasy authors and Forbes billionaires.
Shared Patterns Between Groups:
These three Life Path numbers were elevated in both groups, suggesting that regardless of domain—wealth or creative legacy—certain archetypes may align with impactful success.
| Life Path # | Forbes Diff | Authors Diff | Shared Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | +2.52% | +7.65% | Creativity, expression, communication |
| 4 | +4.47% | +5.99% | Systems, structure, grounded effort |
| 9 | +1.40% | +4.18% | Vision, legacy, higher mission |
Billionaires and Fantasy Authors: Shared Patterns
Both fantasy authors and billionaires leaned heavily into Life Paths 3, 4, and 9—a triad that reflects a fusion of creativity, discipline, and vision.
Life Path 3, the number of expression, was overrepresented in both groups. For authors, this shows up in storytelling—through metaphor, symbol, and emotional resonance. For billionaires, it may manifest as charisma, visibility, and the ability to shape narrative—whether pitching to investors, commanding media, or building a public persona.
Life Path 4 is all about systems, stability, and follow-through. Fantasy authors rely on it to construct coherent, rule-bound worlds. Billionaires often climb through regulation, infrastructure, and strategy. This is the number of architecture—of building something that lasts.
Life Path 9 brings in purpose, legacy, and a concern for the bigger picture. In fantasy, this often appears as themes of justice, destiny, or moral tension. For billionaires, it might show up in philanthropy, innovation, or efforts to leave a legacy—genuine or performative.
On the other hand, both groups were underrepresented in Life Paths 2, 6, 7, and 1—energies tied to emotional support, introspection, and solitary drive. These qualities aren’t absent, but they may be redirected. Authors explore them through characters and symbolic inner worlds. Billionaires may externalize or outsource them—placing focus instead on action and output.
In sum, success in both fields seems less rooted in traditional caretaking, lone striving, or inner retreat—and more in the ability to align vision with structure and expression. These are energies that can shape stories, build systems, and influence the broader culture.
Billionaires and Fantasy Authors: Different Types of Groups
It’s important to recognize that these two groups—fantasy authors and billionaires—aren’t directly comparable in role or trajectory. “Fantasy author” is a profession, an identity shaped by ongoing creative output. “Billionaire” is an outcome, a label defined purely by accumulated wealth, regardless of how or where it was earned.
Billionaires can come from almost any domain: tech, finance, oil, media, real estate, inheritance. Their paths may involve luck, timing, innovation, exploitation—or some combination of all four. Some built empires from scratch, while others inherited or acquired assets at scale. There’s no shared craft, no central practice—just a shared financial result.
Fantasy authors, on the other hand, share a creative discipline. They build imagined worlds, develop characters, and commit to long processes of revision and refinement. Their success is based not on accumulation, but on communication—on how well their ideas resonate with others.
So when we see similar Life Path patterns across both groups—particularly the overrepresentation of 3 (expression), 4 (structure), and 9 (vision)—it becomes all the more intriguing. These numbers may reflect core human capacities that drive large-scale influence or creation, no matter the field. Or they may reflect something else entirely: traits that allow people to work with systems, craft compelling narratives (of books or businesses), or align with the cultural myths we reward.
Either way, the overlap suggests that there are certain energetic archetypes that repeatedly show up when people shape culture, accumulate influence, or leave a lasting mark. But it also asks us to consider: what kinds of influence do we value most? The kind that imagines and expands, or the kind that extracts and accumulates?
In that sense, the shared Life Path numbers raise not just statistical questions—but philosophical ones.
A Counterpoint: What If None of This Means Anything?
While the statistical differences are real, we also have to ask: Are they meaningful? One control group can give a strong signal, but it doesn’t rule out randomness. These numbers could be shaped by sampling quirks, unconscious pattern-seeking, or a dataset that’s simply too small to draw sweeping conclusions from.
It’s human nature to want meaning in numbers—because we want meaning in life. Systems like numerology offer us structure, archetype, and symbolic insight. But that doesn’t make them causal, or even predictive.
Numerology isn’t a science. It’s a symbolic language. Different numerologists assign slightly different meanings. And people are more than a single number—more than a pattern or path. Any Life Path can lead to any kind of life, depending on how it’s expressed, matured, ignored, or transformed. Life Path isn’t life destination.
And yet, there’s something here. The data showed statistically significant differences from the control groups (p < 0.05). Not definitive, but suggestive. The patterns we found don’t prove anything—but they may reflect something about how personality, ambition, and achievement converge in different domains.
Maybe it’s not about whether numerology is “true.” Maybe it’s about the questions it helps us ask:
What are we really striving for? What kinds of success do we celebrate? And what might our patterns—statistical or symbolic—reveal about the stories we’re telling with our lives?
Summary
Fantasy Authors: Show strong leanings toward creativity (3), structure (4), and purpose or vision (9), while under-indexing on numbers tied to emotional support, introspection, and solitary achievement (2, 6, 7, and 1). This suggests a blend of imaginative expression and disciplined storytelling.
Forbes Billionaires: Display a slightly more balanced profile, but most strongly overrepresent structure (4), followed by creativity (3) and long-term vision (9). Their patterns may reflect a focus on system-building and influence more than raw ambition.
Shared Standouts: Life Paths 3, 4, and 9 were elevated in both groups, suggesting that creativity, structure, and a sense of purpose may be consistent drivers of high-impact success—whether the legacy is cultural or financial.
Life Path 8: Despite its reputation as the "money number," 8 was slightly underrepresented among billionaires in this sample. This raises questions about how we define success and whether structural mastery (4) plays a more central role in achieving outsized results.
Final Thought
The fact that 3, 4, and 9 show up as standout patterns across both groups may suggest that certain energies—creative expression, structural discipline, and visionary purpose—are consistently aligned with long-term impact, regardless of the path. But the meanings we assign to numbers, roles, or outcomes are just that: assignments. They help us organize the world, but they don’t define it.
In the end, what matters most is not whether we find certainty in the data, but how we use it to challenge assumptions, reframe success, and stay open to different ways of understanding human potential.