Whether you want to admit it or not, the truth is that some people are exceptional and intelligent. They have achieved things that are beyond human imagination. For example, in this post, Topteny reveals the top 50 people with the highest IQ scores. Check them out below.
1 Richard Rosner
Richard Rosner, also called Rick, has over 30 IQ tests. The best thing is that he has managed to score the highest in about 20 of these tests. Based on various measures, his IQ test ranges between 120 and 140. This guy takes around 50pills every single day. These include Metmorfin and Omega-3 fish oil capsules. Apart from stringing words together, Richard is also good at physics and Maths.
2 Leonardo Da Vinci
Probably you only heard that Leonardo Davinci is a celebrated painter. In case you don’t know, he is also one of the smartest persons in the history of humanity, with an IQ score of around 18 -220. He has been responsible for some technological innovations we are enjoying today.
3 James Maxwell
The score of James Maxwell was between 190 and 205. He was a Scottish mathematical physicist who made many inventions during his time. For instance, he was the brain behind electromagnetic radiation, and his brilliance was underlined when Einstein once claimed he had always looked up to him.
4 Marilyn Vos Savant
Marilyn Vos had an impressive IQ of around 15 -228. She would later go into the real estate and stock business after dropping out of school. Afterward, she married Robert Jarvik, the Jarvik artificial heart inventor.
5 Nicolaus Copernicus
Nicolaus was a polish mathematician as well as an Astro omer. His IQ score ranged from 160-t 200. He made some incredible discoveries during his time. One such is discovering that the sun isn’t at the center of the earth. Instead, it was at the center of the solar system.
6 Christopher Langan
Christopher’s score ranged from 170 – t 210. This is probably one of the reasons why Esquire Magazine decided to call him America’s smartest man. Most parts of his life were spent developing CTMU (Cognitive-Theoretic Model of the Universe). Even at his age, he is still very passionate about weightlifting.
7 Nathan Leopold
As a child, Nathan Leopold had an IQ score of around 210. In an attempt to commit a perfect crime, Nathan and his friend killed a boy of 14year old. He would later spend over 30 years in jail. You can always guess that such an act damaged Nathan’s record.
8 Paul Allen
During his school days, Paul was a perfect friend of Bill Gates. After quitting school in 1974, he encouraged Bill Gates to do the same. It was the following year that Microsoft got borne through the genius of the pair. Allen would later resign from Microsoft in 2000, though. Today, he is an investor, computer programmer, and business magnate with IQs of around 160 and 170.
9 Ainan Cawley
Based on various measures, Ainan managed to have an IQ score of 263 and 349. According to the Telegraph, Cawley was already reciting Pi-518 decimal places at a tender age. At six years old, he had started to lecture people on acid alkaloids. At such age, he passed a chemistry exam that was supposed to be written by students of 16years.
10 Johann Goethe
Johann Goethe’s IQ score was between 210 and 225. He is responsible for the popular evolution theory and science of human chemistry. He also played a role in the development of western literature. Was he good in every field?
11 Neil deGrasse Tyson
From a very young age, Neil always loved everything about astronomy. This is how he became one of the most highly sought-after American astrophysicists in the US. Reports claimed that his IQ was around 123. Over the years, he has received numerous awards like NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. Asteroid 1994KA was renamed 13123 Tyson in 2001.
12 Kim Ung-Yong
Kim Ung-Yong took an IQ test where he managed to score over 200. He was a South Korean born in 1963, and before the age of 3, he could read German, English, Japanese, and Korean fluently. At the age of 8, he was already working with NASA in t e US, and as of 1978, he was already undergoing a Ph.D. (civil engineering) program in South Korea.
13 Mislav Predavec
Mislav Predavec had an IQ score of around 190. He is a Croatian professor of mathematics. In one of his interviews, he claimed to have the feeling of being better than other people. Of course, no one will dispute such a claim, given his unusual IQ score.
14 Manahel Thabet
At 25, Manahel Thabet got magna cum laude in Ph.D. financial engine ring. To compute distance in space without using light, she came up with a formula (350 pages). Her IQ score was above 168. In 2013, she got a place in World Genius Directory’s list.
15 Chris Hirata
At 13years, Chris Hirata became the youngest ever to get an Olympiad Gold Medal (International Physics). At 14, he was already a student of the California Institute of Techn logy, and his IQ was more than 220.
16 William James Sidi
William James Sidi was called a “human calculator” because of the extraordinary things. For instance, within 7months, he graduated from a grammar school. When he was 8years old, he had already passed through high school. He was the youngest student at Harvard at 11 years. His IQ score was between 250 and 300.
17 Terence Tao
Terence Tao is an Australian that many experts refer to as “one of the smartest people on earth” due to his IQ score o 230. At an early age, he was creating records that made headlines. At the age of 2, he was already comfortable with Arith etic, and at eight years old, he scored more than 700 in the popular SAT (math).
18 Dr Evangelos Katsioulis
Dr. Evangelos Katsioulis is a Greek psychiatrist with an IQ o 198. He managed to earn degrees in 3 major fields – psychopharmacology, medical research technology, and philosophy. He is also the brain behind the popular World Intelligence Network, which contains super-intelligent people.
19 Garry Kasparov
This guy has been considered the best player ever in chess with an impressive IQ o 190. Before turning 14, he had already won each junior title. In 1980, he became the World Chess Champion at 17. No one had ever achieved such a feat. He would later be defeated by Deep Blue, though.
20 James Wood
James had an IQ of 180 and has been able to prove a point because celebrities have more to contribute apart from looking good and being talented. In one of the SAT exams, he scored 779 and 800 in the math and English sections. He would later delve into acting in 1969 after dropping out from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
21 Stephen Hawking
Many experts have been quick to compare Stephen Hawking with Einstein based on his IQ score o 170. This cosmologist and physicist have made lots of positive contributions to science. One of his most impactful books remains “A Briefer History of Time.” Stephen will always be remembered despite suffering an illness that paralyzed his system.
22 Adragon De Mello
At 11, Adragon De Mello had already graduated from college. With an IQ of 400, he has the highest IQ ever amongst those on this list. This is why he is mostly considered one of the world’s most intelligent people. As of then, no one had ever achieved such a feat.
23 Michael Kearney
At 10years, Michael had already managed to bag a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Alabama. His IQ scores ranged between 200 and 325. That is not all because, at 22years, he already had four bachelor’s de rees. This is quite an achievement for someone who was earlier diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Diso der). Is the person with the highest IQ ever? Find out more below.
24 Nadia Camukova
With an IQ score of 200, Nadia Camukova deserves to be on the list of the world’s smartest people. She can speak about seven languages fluently. Persian, Arabic, German, Turkish, French, English, and Russian. She is currently a professor at Bahçeşehir University in Turkey.
25 Michael Grost
In 1964, Michael Grost was 10years when he became a student at Michigan State University. His IQ was 200 as of then. He had a strong passion for painting as well as evolutionary biology.
26 Sho Yano
At nine years, Sho already enrolled as a student at Loyola University. At 12years, he got admitted into Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago. He became the school’s youngest-ever student to bag an M.D. This is quite an achievement if you know what the medical field en ails. His IQ was around 200.
27 Dylan Jones
Dylan Jones had an IQ score o 200. At 16, he was already a graduate from the famous Colorado School of Mines after obtaining a computer science and math degree. He also studied German, Spanish, French, and Latin.
28 Edith Stern
At the age of 15, Edith had already started to teach math classes at the college level. Her IQ was 200, and much of the credit had to go to her father, who announced at the time of her birth that he had plans of molding her into the perfect human being. At 5years, he made her read the whole Encyclopedia Britannica.
29 Francis Galton
Galton had an IQ score o 200. His contributions have been undeniable. For instance, he was the brain behind the weather map we are using today. He is also credited for the use of fingerprints by p lice. Of course, you can’t expect less from Charles Darwin’s cousin.
30 Marie Curie
This polish chemist and physicist became very popular due to radioactivity. It has helped develop x-rays that are used for surgeries. Based on varying measures, her IQ was discovered to range from 180-to 200.
31 Judit Polgár
Judit Polgár was known as the best female chess player of her time and was a genius in chess. It is worth noting that she is better than most male players, which is why she is the only female ranked amongst the 100 best players in chess. At the age of 11, she managed to show her genius in the game through some landmark victories; her IQ was around 170.
32 John H. Sununu
John H. Sununu had an IQ of 180. He studied mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Techn logy. By 1966, he was already a Ph.D. holder. He is known as one of the best professors in the field of mechanical engineering, even though his end was quite controversial.
33 Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker managed to make a name for himself after being named amongst the top 100 most influential scientists and thinkers. At the moment, he works with Harvard as a professor in the department of psych logy. He has won a series of awards for his contributions to the development of psychology over the years. These could be Royal Institution Henry Dale Prize and Troland Research Award.
34 Ivan Ivec
Ivan’s IQ was reported to be around 170. He isn’t just a mathematician. Also, he is an expert at IQ tests. He was one of the first to out that time restriction on tests that have been designed to be used for intelligence isn’t ideal for everyone. In other words, some people are knowledgeable but not fast enough to solve complex problems.
35 Bill Gates
Bill gates might have dropped out of school, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of the most intelligent people today. His IQ score is around 160. This guy has played a significant role in developing and advancing the computers we are using today.
36 Scott Aaronson
Scott Aaronson currently works with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the electrical engineering and computer science departments. He became very popular, contributing significantly to the abstract quantum Turing machine and algebrization. When it comes to remarkable achievements in fundamental theories, Scott has proven himself repeatedly, and his IQ was reported to range between 160 – 190.
37 Nikola Poljak
With an IQ of 183, Nikola Poljak was seen as a genius by his colleagues and partners in the world of ph sics. One of his major research projects remains the popular “hadronic systems with the relativistic probe.”
38 Donald Knuth
Donald Knuth is another individual with a high IQ (170 and 200) that deserves to be mentioned on this list. His contributions in the field of computer science will always be remembered. He has played a very crucial role in the development of computer programming. Of course, this is an integral part of today’s IT world.
39 Noam Chomsky
Many refer to Noam Chomsky as the brain behind the growth and development of modern logistics. At 16years, he was already a Ph.D. holder at the University of Pennsylvania. Although he has retired, he is still very active on political matters.
40 Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen is another prominent name in the world of chess. Someone qualified for grandmaster at the age of 13 doesn’t need too much explanation to convince people that he is a genius. In 2010, he became the youngest player in the game’s history to be ranked number one. It was only 19years when this got achieved. His IQ was reported to be 190.
41 Albert Einstein
In terms of “symbols of knowledge,” this scientist’s name is a symbol of brilliance. It is impossible to deny that he influenced the course of science. He received the Nobel Prize for discovering the photoelectric effect’s law. He also developed the theory of relativity. Although there is no scientific way for assessing his IQ after death, scholars have to guess his score based on a detailed examination of his publications.
42 Shahriar Afshar
Shahriar Afshar isn’t just a physicist but also an entrepreneur. His outstanding contributions and ideas have earned him a place amongst the elite. One of such has been his Afshar experiment of 2004. This contradicts the complementarity of the quantum mechanical principle. He is also the brain behind the invention of the Soundkix mini speaker (4D). His IQ was reported to be around 170.
43 Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi has a reported IQ o 172 and deserves to be mentioned amongst people with the highest IQ scores ever on this post. He is the greatest football player that has ever lived; for instance, he is the only player that has won 7 ballon d’Or.
44 Saul Kripke
Saul Kripke is a philosopher and logician who has won numerous prestigious awards over the years. When other philosophers in the past two centuries were being compared, Saul maintained position number 7. His “Kripkenstein” theory is still remembered.
45 Ruth Lawrence
At the age of 13, Ruth Lawrence was already a holder of a bachelor’s degree from O ford. One year later, she became a Ph.D. holder. At the age of 10, she was able to pass the Oxford university Maths examination. She was the highest amongst over 500 candidates. She is currently researching a complicated and confusing aspect of mathematics that isn’t in use.
46 Grigori Perelman
Grigori Perelman is a highly influential Russian mathematician. He was the first to crack Poincaré conjecture, a very complex problem in top logy. He has also been instrumental in helping people understand geometry. Grigori made headlines by refusing the 1million dollars offered t him. His IQ was reported to be 172.
47 Andrew Wiles
Andrew Wiles is a genius that will hardly be forgotten. In 1995, he proved the famous Fermat’s Last Theorem, which lasted for over 358years, as the most complicated mathematical problem.
48 Edward Witten
Edward deserves to be mentioned on this list. For instance, many refer to him as the smartest physicist alive today. He has greatly contributed to knot theory, supersymmetry, and morse theory. His contributions in quantum gravity shouldn’t be overlooked, especially with an IQ of 202.
49 Thomas Wolsey
Thomas Wolsey had an IQ of around 200. In 1514, he was one of the most powerful men alive, controlling state matters. He would later die in 1530 due to a trial case related to treason he was going for.
50 Hugo Grotius
Hugo Grotius’ IQ was 200. He was a famous scholar and Dutch jurist and was responsible for the emergence of “De Jure Belli ac Pacis,” a law on war and peace.
