But later, when I describe the scene to Weng, he shrugs.“It's the same all over the world,” he says.“People who have good relationships are more successful in business.

“It helps being from Wenzhou,” says Weng, because “people just assume that Wenzhounese have the resources to complete the projects they're pitching.

As Ong notes, unlike writing or agriculture, the alphabet was only invented once - every single alphabet and abjad can trace itself back to the same Semitic roots.

He has discovered some whoppers, including the Hyperion, believed to be the tallest tree on the planet at 379 feet, which he found with another tree hunter in 2006.

“There are several countries that meet these criteria, have massive needs for investment in infrastructure and human development, and already show strong results,” Bourguignon says.