C.E.O. Libraries Reveal Keys to Success
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
I know a few writers and I know a few entrepreneurs. The writers read their whole lives. The entrepreneurs I know never read all that much. I know a businessman who will only read books if they're bestsellers. I've even met entrepreneurs who have never voluntarily read a book. As far as I can tell, the guys who devote time to reading will never do as well as the guys to devote time to making money.
odds are fortune 500 CEO's just happen to like to read, it's not a prerequisite for success. journalistic sensationalism at its worst.
The journalist was just observing the libraries of a tiny sample of executives. I don't think anyone is claiming that reading leads to success (besides you), because (as you noted, and as the article didn't have to), plenty of people like to read, and not all of them are rich.
Now, if you wanted more reliable data, you could look at this survey:
http://www.forbes.com/2006/09/20/ent-manage_biz_06rich400_se...
Which seems to show that among billionaires, the most common attributes are 1) a tendency to exercise a lot, and 2) a few hours a day of reading.
Well, that and the billions of dollars in net worth.