If ever you think of the smartest person that existed, one of the people that probably comes to your mind is Albert Einstein. Most people know Einstein for his theory of relativity, but he is also responsible for contributing to our understanding of the existence and structure of atoms, the photoelectric effect (which gives us the principal for making solar panels), and the generation of nuclear power.
With all he achieved, Einstein is believed to have an IQ of about 160, which is 20 points north of the genius value. It is also 60 points higher than the average IQ. Quite surprisingly there are people with IQs even higher than this. Some of them are child prodigies who have already accomplished so much and will probably go onto discover so much more. Others use their genius in games of logic like chess and are international grandmasters. So here are some of the people that have or had an IQ higher than Einstein.
Evangelos Katsioulis
Evangelos Katsioulis is a man with a medical degree, two master’s degrees, and a Ph.D. He studied in the fields of psychiatry and philosophy and has contributed to the respective fields immensely. He is listed in the World Genius Directory and has an IQ of 198 points.
Nathan Leopold
Nathan Leopold is well-known for being able to speak nine languages by the age of 18. Unfortunately, he is also known for his run-ins with the law where he tried to commit the perfect crime just because he and his accomplice could. His IQ of 200 was not enough to save him and he was arrested and spent three decades in prison.
Judit Polgar
Judit Polgar is a Hungarian chess master with an IQ of 170 points. She became an International Grandmaster at the age of 15, which makes her the youngest player to ever have done so. She is considered the best female chess player of all time. She has authored a few books, gives lectures, and heads a foundation which is focused on education and social development.
Marilyn vos Savant
The woman with the highest IQ on this list, Marilyn vos Savant, is known for her contributions to magazine journalism and to playwriting. Her magazine column called “Ask Marilyn”, was primarily focused on answering mathematical and philosophical questions, some even submitted by experts in those fields. She has published a long list of novels and continues today to give lectures on various topics. Her IQ is 228 points.
Ainan Cawley
Ainan Cawley, who is now 20 years old, has already achieved so much such as giving a public lecture at the age of 6 years old and completing third-year chemistry by the time he was nine. He had also memorized 518 decimal places of pi by that time – not surprising with his IQ of 263. Nowadays, he seems to spend his time in entertainment and writing probably springboarded by his writing and composition of music for a short film called Reflection, which he completed when he was 12.
Jacob Barnett
Though he doesn’t have the highest IQ of the people on this list, Jacob Barnett, who has an IQ of 170, was a published physicist by the time he was 13 years old. He was diagnosed with moderate to severe autism at the age of two but that didn’t stop him. Having finished grades 6 to 12 in only one year, it seems this kid could be the next Einstein.
