Genetic tests have revealed that Mr Robinson, a professor of accountancy at the University of Miami, shares crucial portions of his DNA with the Mongol ruler...

He has little in common with his infamous ancestor. He is not a keen horseman. Though a Republican, his politics are moderate...

“I’m proud to have such an interesting ancestor. I’ve been reading a lot about him since I found out about the link, and it does seem that his reputation is a little unfair.

“He conquered a lot of countries, but he had a pretty good system of government.”