Top 7 People With The Highest IQ

IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a measure of a person’s cognitive abilities. It’s calculated from standardized tests designed to assess human intelligence. Originally, it was determined by dividing a person’s mental age by their chronological age and multiplying the result by 100.

However, it’s important to remember that an IQ score doesn’t necessarily predict success in academics or careers. There are various types of intelligence, such as emotional, musical, visual-spatial, naturalistic, and linguistic-verbal.

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So, an IQ score is just one aspect of a person’s intelligence. Here we will look into some individuals who have achieved the highest IQ scores in history.

7. Christopher Michael Langan (195)

Christopher Michael Langan, born on March 25, 1952, in San Francisco, California, is often referred to as one of the most intelligent people in America.  Despite having little formal education, Langan has been reported to have an IQ score of 195.

During his school years, Langan often found the curriculum unchallenging and began teaching himself advanced subjects such as math, physics, philosophy, Latin, and Greek. He even scored a perfect score on the SAT, despite taking a nap during the test.

Langan was offered scholarships to Reed College in Oregon and the University of Chicago. He chose Reed College but lost his scholarship due to a paperwork error1. Despite this setback, Langan continued his pursuit of knowledge and is now known for his high IQ.

6. Evangelos Katsioulis (198)

Evangelos Katsioulis, born in Ioannina, Greece, is a distinguished individual known for his extraordinary intelligence. According to the World Genius Directory, he has one of the highest recorded IQ scores in the world, with a score of 198 on the Stanford-Binet scale.

He has degrees in various fields including philosophy, medical research technology, and psychopharmacology. His intellectual prowess is not limited to academics; he has also founded several organizations for gifted individuals, including the Greek Society of High Intelligence and the Academy of Abilities Assessment.

5. Kim Ung-Yong (210)

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Kim Ung-Yong, born on March 8, 1962, in Seoul, South Korea, is a remarkable individual recognized for his extraordinary intelligence. He is reported to have one of the highest IQ scores ever recorded, scoring above 210 on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale.

By the time he was one year old, he had learned the Korean alphabet and 1,000 Chinese characters1. At the age of three, he was solving calculus problems and by the age of five, he was fluent in Korean, English, French, German, and Japanese.

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His intellectual prowess caught the attention of NASA, and he was hired to solve complex mathematical equations. Today, Kim Ung-Yong serves as a researcher and educator at a university in South Korea.

4. Christopher Hirata (225)

Christopher Hirata, born on November 30, 1982, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA, is an American astrophysicist and cosmologist known for his extraordinary intelligence. He has an IQ score of 225 and his intellectual prowess became evident at a young age.

At just 14 years old, he became the youngest winner at the 1996 International Physics Olympiad. By the time he was 16, he was already working with NASA on projects investigating the colonization of Mars.

3. Marilyn vos Savant (228)

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Marilyn vos Savant, born on August 11, 1946, in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American author and columnist. She holds the record for one of the highest IQs ever recorded, with a score of 228.

She was tested using two types of IQ tests at the age of 10, the Stanford-Binet test and Hoeflin’s Mega Test, and scored extremely high on both. Her high IQ score earned her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records Hall of Fame for “Highest IQ” from 1986 to 1989.

However, the “Highest IQ” category was discontinued by Guinness in 1990 due to debates about the accuracy of measuring intelligence using rigid IQ tests.

2. Terence Tao (230)

Terence Tao, often referred to as the “Mozart of Math,” is a renowned mathematician who displayed amazing mathematical skills at a very young age. Tao’s IQ is estimated to be between 211 and 230, making him one of the individuals with the highest IQ scores ever recorded.

Not just that but he also started high school when he was just seven years old. Tao’s intellectual journey led him to complete his PhD from Princeton University at the age of 21. He then went on to become a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

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Throughout his career, Tao has made significant contributions to the field of mathematics mainly harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, combinatorics, and representation theory.

1. William James Sidis (250-300)

William James Sidis, born on April 1, 1898, in New York City, is a notable figure in the realm of intellectual achievement. He is reported to have an IQ score between 250 and 300, which is the highest ever recorded by mankind.

By the age of 18 months, he was already able to read The New York Times. By the age of 6, he had mastered multiple languages, including English, French, German, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian. He even invented his own language as a child.

Sidis was accepted into Harvard University at the age of 9, but the university did not allow him to attend classes until he was 11. During his time at Harvard, he delivered a lecture to the Harvard Mathematical Club on four-dimensional bodies, a topic that was incredibly complex and beyond the comprehension of most people. 

He graduated from Harvard at the age of 16.

Source:

• Mensa Interntional

• Brain Graph Initiative

• MedicineNet

• ati

Also read: Top 5 Greatest Achievements in Science and Technology