The individuals with the highest IQs in the world are diverse, with talents and skills that vary greatly. Some of the most intelligent people in the world have backgrounds in mathematics, science, and engineering. Other high-IQ individuals are creative artists, such as painters, musicians, and writers. Many high-IQ individuals also exhibit extraordinary leadership abilities. What unites these exceptional individuals is their exceptional intelligence. In this post, we have talked about people with the highest IQ in the world.
People who have the Highest IQ in the World
1. Rick Rosner: IQ 192–198
Rick Rosner has taken over 30 IQ tests, demonstrating his IQ is between 192 and 198, depending on how the tests determine their scores. Before the allegedly second-smartest man in the world became a TV writer, he served as a bouncer, stripper, and nude model. He famously sued the ABC network for a false question after losing Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? At the $16,000 level, but lost the case.
2. Evangelos Katsioulis: IQ 198
With a score of 198, Evangelos Katsioulis, MD, MSc, MA, Ph.D., has the highest IQ in the world as per World Genius Directory. This Greek psychiatrist holds degrees in medical research technology and philosophy.
3. Nathan Leopold: IQ 200
The notorious Nathan Leopold had an IQ of 200 and spoke 9 languages by age 18, but he didn’t utilize his intelligence for the greater good. When he was 19, he was arrested for murder in 1924 after attempting to commit the “perfect crime”—the kind of crime that never gets solved. Leopold spent 33 years in jail before getting released on parole. He died in 1971.
4. Ainan Cawley: IQ 263
This former Irish child genius, who’s now 21, has an IQ of 263. At 8 years old, he was already taking third-year chemistry courses at Singapore Polytechnic, and by the time he was 9, he’d learned the first 518 decimal places of pi. He also seems to have a knack for entertainment, having penned the script and composed music for a short film, Reflection, at age 12.
5. Johann Goethe: IQ 210–225
When American electrochemical engineer Libb Thims set out to discover the person with the highest IQ in history, he used a methodology that indicates their IQ based on how much they achieved every 10 years. This came in handy when trying to rank people who predated IQ tests. Based on his approach, it was calculated that German Renaissance man Johann Goethe was the person with the highest IQ of all time, with a score ranging from 210 to 225. While generally labeled a philosopher, Goethe was also an accomplished scientist and poet.
6. Sho Yano: IQ 200
American physician Sho Yano began college at age nine and earned an MD and Ph.D. by age 21. He began composing music when he was 4, but he’s put his emphasis on child neurology.
7. Christopher Langan: IQ 174–210
Usually referred to as “the smartest man in America,” Christopher Langan is a former cowboy, current horse rancher, and a self-reliant researcher and reality theorist. One of his best pieces is his Cognitive-Theoretic Model of the Universe, which he refers to as “the CTMU” and pronounced as cat-mew. In an interview with Esquire in 2007, Langan said that it was “a true ‘Theory of Everything,’ a cross between John Archibald Wheeler’s ‘Participatory Universe’ and Stephen Hawking’s ‘Imaginary Time’ theory of cosmology.” He is among the people with the highest IQ in the world.
8. Jacob Barnett: IQ 170
At two years old, Jacob Barnett was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism, and doctors implied he’d never learn to tie his own shoes. He’s learned that task. The American child prodigy completed grades 6 through 12 in less than a year, then moved to college at age 10. He was a published physicist when he was 13. Now he’s 21 and working toward his Ph.D.
9. Marnen Laibow-Koser: IQ 268
When Marnen Laibow-Koser was tested as a kid, he was given a projected IQ of 268. Now, he’s a songwriter and musician living in Randolph, Massachusetts. He has been both playing and composing music since the age of 3.
10. Adragon De Mello: IQ 400
In 1988, when Adragon De Mello graduated from the University of California with a degree in computational mathematics at the age of 11. At that time, he was the youngest college graduate in the United States. Though he was said to have a projected IQ of 400, De Mello hasn’t been in the public eye much in the past 20 years. In 2001 when he was a 24-year-old “high-tech worker,” he took his father’s custody, who was dying of bladder cancer.
11. Leonardo da Vinci: IQ 180–220
While IQ tests weren’t available when Leonardo da Vinci was, it is now calculated that his score would have been between 180 and 220. This makes sense when you consider it: With skills ranging from art and science to music and architecture, da Vinci didn’t just work in diverse fields—he excelled at them. He was so ahead of his time that numerous inventions (like flying machines, the telescope, and the submarine) didn’t come to fruition until long after his death.
12. Isaac Newton: IQ 190–200
Sir Isaac Newton is a physicist—far ahead of his time. Though he’s best recognized for his universal principles of gravity, the 17th-century philosopher was also a mathematician, astronomer, and writer. His IQ score would fall between 190 and 200, depending on the criteria used.
13. Michael Grost: IQ 200
In 1964, when Michael Grost started his college career at Michigan State University (MSU), he was just 10 years old. Now in his 60s, Grost has undergraduate and Master’s degrees from MSU and a Ph.D. in math from the University of Michigan. Reportedly, Grost has an IQ of 200. He currently writes mystery and detective stories and relishes classical music, poetry, film, art, and architecture.
14. Kim Ung-Yong: IQ 200–210
Somehow, Kim Ung-Yong has been known as a “failed genius” and the person with the highest IQ of all time. Known for his capability to solve tricky mathematical equations at the age of four, Ung-Yong was invited to work for NASA when he was eight. Though he worked there for a decade, he eventually left the position because he was lonely, he told The Korea Herald in 2010.
15. Nikola Tesla: IQ 160–310
Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor—and arch-rival of Thomas Edison—reportedly had an IQ falling somewhere between 160 and 310, depending on the criterion. Though he’s liable for dreaming up (and, in some cases, creating) a wide range of new technologies, Tesla is best known for creating the first alternating current (AC) motor and developing AC generation and transmission technology. In the final years of his life, Tesla’s mental health worsened, and he died alone in the New York hotel room where he’d resided.
Conclusion
Intelligence is not just a trait that can be learned or developed over time but one that is also inherited. People with the highest IQs in the world can think and process information faster than those with lower IQs, and this ability has helped them achieve some of the most impressive feats in their respective fields. So, keep your IQ high if you’re looking to up your game! We hope that you find this list of people with the highest IQ in the world.
Read More
- Famous Women in India
- Top 10 Handsome Men in the World
- 15 Best Business Magazines in the World
- Shoe brands in India
- Best rooftop cafe Kolkata
- Best cartoons in India
- Top ten it companies in India
- Top 10 scientists of India
FAQs
Who has the highest IQ alive in 2022? ›
Smartest Person in the World in 2022: Smartest Person Alive with highest IQ. Marilyn Vos Savant may well be the smartest person alive today. With an IQ of 228, she holds the highest IQ in the world by the Guinness World Records since 1990.
Who had 15 IQ? ›Marilyn vos Savant (/ˌvɒs səˈvɑːnt/; born Marilyn Mach; August 11, 1946) is an American magazine columnist who has the highest recorded intelligence quotient (IQ) in the Guinness Book of Records, a competitive category the publication has since retired.
Who is the person in the world with highest IQ? ›Kim Ung-Yong
He holds the Guinness World Record for IQ at 210 and he was invited as a guest student in physics at Hanyang University when he was three year old. He was invited to America by NASA at age eight, he worked at the space organization for ten years and then returned to Korea.
Bill Gates IQ is 151.45, despite the fact that he has never publicly disclosed it. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on his SATs in 1973, which converts to a score of 1590 out of 1600. With this IQ, Bill Gates is technically a genius because he is smarter than 99.96% of the population.
Who has 300 IQ? ›William James Sidis has the World's Highest IQ. Anywhere from 250 to 300 is his IQ score, almost twice the score of Albert Einstein. At the age of eleven, William famously entered Harvard University, becoming the youngest person to enter.
What is the top 2% IQ? ›A score of 130 or higher signals a high IQ. Membership in Mensa, the High IQ society, includes people who score in the top 2 percent, which is usually 132 or higher.
Who has highest IQ in USA? ›| Christopher Langan | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1952 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Education | Reed College (dropped out) Montana State University–Bozeman (dropped out) |
| Occupation | Horse rancher |
| Known for | High IQ |
IQ compared by countries
With an average IQ of 98 points, the USA ranks 29th in this ranking. With 108 points, the inhabitants of Hong Kong reach the highest intelligence quotas worldwide. The last place, with only 56 points, is occupied by Equatorial Guinea.
A Breakdown of IQ Scores
1 to 24: Profound mental disability. 25 to 39: Severe mental disability. 40 to 54: Moderate mental disability. 55 to 69: Mild mental disability.
The first genius IQ score was around 140. That's about one in every 250 people. But one leading researcher in the 1940s suggested that a genius should have an IQ over 180. That's about one in every 2 million people.
What IQ is genius level? ›
Notably, the average IQ score falls between 85 and 115. A score above 140, meanwhile, is considered to be genius level.
What is the IQ of Elon Musk? ›Elon Musk IQ is close to this starting point, with an estimated score of 155. The typical genius has an IQ of around 140.
Which kid has the highest IQ? ›An 11 year old British boy, Yusuf Shah has a higher IQ than Albert Einstein and Stephen HawkingIn a Mensa test, the child prodigy scored 162 which is higher than the IQs of Einstein and Hawking which was around 160.
What was Da Vinci's IQ score? ›In terms of intelligence, Da Vinci was the greatest genius of all time. Leonardo da Vinci IQ is considered to be approximately 220. Leonardo was a superb artist and an open-minded scientist, but he was also a seductive and intelligent communicator with a light-hearted personality and appealing looks.
What is Kim Kardashian IQ? ›Kim Kardashian IQ is estimated to be 190. Although some people are known to have IQs above 200, the theoretical maximum IQ in the world is 200. This IQ demonstrates that Kim is among the smartest people in the world. With a $1 billion net worth, Kim Kardashian is ranked 17th on the Forbes World Billionaires list.
What is Mark Zuckerberg IQ? ›Various sources, however, estimate it at 152 IQ based on biographical data, publications, and achievements. He is regarded as a genius and among the world's most intellectual individuals. A score of 152 is regarded as high, while a score of 100 is considered normal.
What's the IQ of Jeff Bezos? ›Jeff Bezos' IQ has never been confirmed publicly but is considered to likely be over 150.
Who had an IQ of 400? ›Adragon De Mello: IQ 400
In 1988, when Adragon De Mello graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a degree in computational mathematics at the age of 11, he was the youngest college graduate in the United States (a record he no longer holds).
In general, an IQ score is defined with a median and mean of 100. Scores above 130 are labeled as above average or “very superior,” while scores under 70 would be considered below average or labeled as “borderline impaired.” Most people have an average IQ between 85 and 115.
How to check my IQ? ›One of the most well-known online exams available to you is Free-IQTest.net. It has 20 questions that will measure your IQ score accurately. After this test, you have to give your birth date since the test calculates your IQ score based on your age. This way, you may compare yourself to your peers.
How rare is IQ? ›
| IQ | Description | % of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 120–129 | Superior | 6.7% |
| 110–119 | High average | 16.1% |
| 90–109 | Average | 50% |
| 80–89 | Low average | 16.1% |
The lowest IQ score is 0/200, but nobody in recorded history has officially scored 0. Any result below 75 points is an indicator of some form of mental or cognitive impairment.
Can you increase your IQ? ›Although science is on the fence about whether you can raise your IQ or not, research does seem to suggest that it's possible to raise your intelligence through certain brain-training activities. Training your memory, executive control, and visuospatial reasoning can help to boost your intelligence levels.
Does IQ increase with age? ›Abilities change, but IQ scores tend to be very stable. However the intelligence ability is changing during the life, the IQ (intelligence quotient) does not. This measure is defined to have mean of 100 in each age group. So the average IQ e.g. in the age 5 is 100, and the same in the age 50.
What is the smartest state? ›Massachusetts, home of Harvard University and a plethora of other prestigious colleges and schools, earned the top spot, with an overall index score of 93.9.
What is average IQ in Japan? ›Here are the 10 countries with the highest IQ: Japan - 106.48. Taiwan - 106.47. Singapore - 105.89.
What is a 95% IQ? ›The IQ 95 result indicates that you have a normal sort of thinking capacity that falls into the category of "Average Intelligence" in the IQ scale range chart, which accounts for 51.6 percent of the world's population. That suggests you or your child have the same degree of intelligence as the majority of individuals.
Is 130 IQ gifted? ›A gifted child's IQ will fall within these ranges: Mildly gifted: 115 to 130. Moderately gifted: 130 to 145. Highly gifted: 145 to 160.
What is a 99% IQ? ›An IQ 99 score is in the center of the range of average intellect (from 90 till 109). The average intellect level is that of 50% of the human population. You shouldn't be concerned because the majority of individuals have ordinary intelligence. If you are unhappy with your IQ 99, you can attempt to improve it.
What causes high IQ? ›Intelligence is also strongly influenced by the environment. During a child's development, factors that contribute to intelligence include their home environment and parenting, education and availability of learning resources, and healthcare and nutrition.
What is Albert Einstein's IQ? ›
Smarter than Einstein? Albert Einstein likely never took an IQ test but is estimated to have a 160 IQ—but even that can't stand up to these masterminds.
Is 120 IQ good for a 12 year old? ›Scores of 90-109 are Average. Scores of 110-119 are High Average. An IQ of 125 is considered by many schools to be “gifted.” Scores of 120-129 are Superior. And scores above 130 are Very Superior.
What is a good IQ score by age? ›| Age Range | Average IQ Score |
|---|---|
| 20 to 24-year-olds | 99 |
| 24 to 34-year-olds | 97 |
| 35 to 44-year-olds | 101 |
| 45 to 54-year-olds | 106 |
High genius is defined as a score between 165 and 179, while the ultimate genius has a score between 180 and 200. A genius with an IQ of more than 200 would be regarded as unreachable.
What's the average IQ of a 13 year old? ›| Age of Child | Average IQ |
|---|---|
| 11 years old | Between 30 and 50 |
| 12 years old | Between 40 and 65 |
| 13 years old | Between 40 and 65 |
| 14 years old | Between 60 and 80 |
With an IQ 160, Kutcher is not only in a unique class of brilliant folks, but he is also one of the few actors in Hollywood with such a score, according to Hollywood.
What was Steve Jobs IQ? ›"Steve Jobs likely had an IQ roughly 160 or above”, according to the article "Steve Jobs Leveraged His Intelligence To More Effectively Create." It means Steve Jobs IQ is 160. Jobs was tested around the end of fourth grade, according to Walter Isaacson's book.
What is the doctors IQ? ›The average I.Q. of a doctor is approximately 125. Studies have determined that a doctor's I.Q. will normally fall within the 110-130 range, putting them into the 'high average' and 'superior' Wechsler classifications.
Who has a 200 IQ? ›Michael Grost
Michael Grost, who has an IQ of 200, was only 10 years old when he started studying at Michigan State University in 1964. He later attended Yale University and the University of Michigan, where he earned a doctorate in mathematics at age 23.
Adhara Perez has an IQ of 162 in comparison to Einstein and Hawkings who had an estimated IQ of 160. Perez, who was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, lives in the slums of Tlahuac in Mexico.
Who is the smartest 11 year old? ›
Eleven-year-old Yusuf Shah is being hailed as a genius after he made the highest possible score, 162, on a Mensa intelligence test. His performance beats those of physicists Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, who were both estimated to have IQs around 160.
What was Plato's IQ? ›| Name (First/Last) | Description | IQ (SB) |
|---|---|---|
| Plato | Philosopher | 170 |
| Ralph Waldo Emerson | Writer | 155 |
| Raphael | Artist | 170 |
| Rembrandt van Rijn | Artist | 155 |
- 55 to 69: Mild mental disability.
- 70 to 84: Borderline mental disability.
- 85 to 114: Average intelligence.
- 115 to 129: Above average or bright.
- 130 to 144: Moderately gifted.
- 145 to 159: Highly gifted.
- 160 to 179: Exceptionally gifted.
- 180 and up: Profoundly gifted.
An IQ score over 140 indicates that you're a genius or nearly a genius, while 120 - 140 is classed as "very superior intelligence". 110 - 119 is "superior intelligence", while 90 - 109 is "normal or average intelligence".
What is the top 1% of IQ? ›An average person scores 100 on an IQ test using the Stanford-Binet IQ scale. A score of 137 to 160 is considered the top 1 percent to . 01 percent of all scorers. Frank Lawlis, director of psychological testing for American Mensa, also joined the discussion on The Daily Circuit.
Is there a 200 IQ? ›Michael Grost: IQ 200
In 1964, when Michael Grost first began his college career at Michigan State University (MSU), he was only 10 years old. Now in his 60s, Grost has undergraduate and Masters's degrees from MSU, as well as a PhD in mathematics from the University of Michigan. Reportedly, Grost has an IQ of 200.
| Name | Occupation | IQ |
|---|---|---|
| Brad Pitt | Hollywood actor | 126 |
| Abraham Lincoln | Politician | 148 |
| Andy Warhol | Artist | 86 |
| Jodie Foster | Actress | 132 |