The highest IQ in history officially recorded belongs to Marilyn vos Savant, with a score of 228 listed by Guinness World Records in the 1980s. Scores for earlier figures, including Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci, are retrospective estimates, because none of them took a modern IQ test.
Who Has the Highest IQ in History?
Marilyn vos Savant has the highest IQ in history recognised by Guinness World Records, with a reported score of 228. Guinness discontinued the category in 1990 because IQ scores obtained through different tests could not be compared reliably.
What is the Highest IQ Ever Recorded?
The highest IQ ever recorded in Guinness World Records is 228. Higher figures, such as 250 to 300 for William James Sidis, are estimates made after his death and are not test results.
Who Are the People with the Highest IQ?
The people with the highest IQ in popular rankings, with the type of evidence behind each figure:
- Marilyn vos Savant – 228 (Guinness World Records)
- William James Sidis – 250–300 (retrospective estimate)
- Carl Friedrich Gauss – 250–300 (retrospective estimate)
- Terence Tao – 225–230 (widely repeated estimate)
- Christopher Hirata – 225 (reported, unverified)
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – 210–225 (retrospective estimate)
- Leonardo da Vinci – 180–220 (retrospective estimate)
- Isaac Newton – 190–200 (retrospective estimate)
- Albert Einstein – 160–190 (retrospective estimate)
- Nikola Tesla – 160 to above 300 (unverified estimates)
Marilyn vos Savant IQ: 228
Marilyn vos Savant is an American writer and columnist. Her Marilyn vos Savant IQ of 228 comes from a childhood assessment that used an older scoring method, so it cannot be compared directly with modern adult scores. She later wrote the Ask Marilyn column, where her answer to the Monty Hall problem drew wide public attention.
William James Sidis IQ: 250–300
William James Sidis (1898–1944) was an American child prodigy who entered Harvard University at age 11. The William James Sidis IQ range of 250 to 300 is a retrospective estimate with no documented standardised test behind it.
Terence Tao IQ: 225–230
Terence Tao (born 1975) is an Australian-American mathematician at UCLA. The Terence Tao IQ estimate of 225 to 230 is widely repeated but not backed by a verified adult test record. He completed his PhD at Princeton University at age 20 and won the Fields Medal in 2006.
Christopher Hirata IQ: 225
Christopher Hirata is an American theoretical physicist who works in cosmology and astrophysics. His reported IQ of about 225 has no publicly verified source. He took part in the International Physics Olympiad as a teenager and earned his doctorate at Princeton University.
Carl Friedrich Gauss: 250–300 (Estimated)
Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855) was a German mathematician known as the Prince of Mathematicians. His estimated IQ of 250 to 300 is not supported by any test. His book Disquisitiones Arithmeticae (1801) helped shape modern number theory, and he also contributed to statistics, astronomy and geodesy.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: 210–225 (Estimated)
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was a German writer and natural philosopher. His estimated IQ of 210 to 225 is retrospective and was never measured. He wrote Faust and also studied plant morphology, anatomy and colour.
Leonardo da Vinci IQ: 180–220
Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was an Italian painter, engineer and anatomist. The Leonardo da Vinci IQ range of 180 to 220 is speculative, because he lived centuries before intelligence testing. His paintings include the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, and his notebooks record studies of anatomy, mechanics and flight.
Isaac Newton: 190–200 (Estimated)
Sir Isaac Newton (1642–1727) was an English mathematician and physicist. His estimated IQ of 190 to 200 is not based on any verified test. His Principia Mathematica (1687) set out the laws of motion and universal gravitation.
Albert Einstein IQ: 160–190
Albert Einstein (1879–1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist. The Albert Einstein IQ range of 160 to 190 has no reliable test record behind it. He developed the theory of relativity and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his explanation of the photoelectric effect.
Nikola Tesla: 160 to Above 300 (Estimated)
Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) was a Serbian-American inventor and electrical engineer. Online estimates of his IQ vary widely and none is verified. His work on alternating-current systems contributed to modern electrical power transmission.
Who Are the Smartest People in History?
The smartest people in history cannot be ranked by IQ, because most never took a comparable test. The ten people above are better described as famous geniuses in history, judged by documented work in mathematics, physics, art, engineering and writing.
What is the Highest IQ in the World Today?
No verified answer exists for the highest IQ in the world today. Terence Tao and Marilyn vos Savant are the most frequently cited names, but their figures are not comparable adult test scores.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who had the highest IQ in history?
Marilyn vos Savant, with a score of 228 in the former Guinness World Records category. This is the only highest IQ in history credited by a record-keeping body.
What was Albert Einstein’s IQ?
Einstein’s IQ is commonly estimated at 160 to 190. No standardised test result exists for him.
What was Leonardo da Vinci’s IQ?
Leonardo da Vinci’s IQ is commonly estimated at 180 to 220. These are retrospective estimates.
Did William James Sidis have an IQ of 300?
Sidis is credited with an IQ of 250 to 300, but no standardised test record confirms it.
Is Terence Tao the smartest person alive?
No source confirms this. Tao is a Fields Medal winner with an estimated IQ of 225 to 230, but no verified ranking of living people exists.
Why did Guinness World Records stop listing the highest IQ?
Guinness ended the category in 1990 because IQ tests were not considered reliable enough to name a single record holder.
Can IQ alone explain genius?
No. Achievement also depends on education, practice, opportunity and the field a person works in.
Conclusion
The highest IQ in history on record is 228, held by Marilyn vos Savant. Every other score in this list is an estimate, so the documented achievements of these ten people remain the more reliable measure of their intelligence.
Author’s Note:
What I find most interesting about the people considered among history’s greatest minds is not the IQ scores attached to their names, but what they chose to do with their abilities. Leonardo da Vinci explored the relationship between art and science, Einstein questioned established ideas about the universe, and Terence Tao continues to advance mathematical knowledge. Their achievements remind me that intelligence becomes meaningful when it is put to use.
I also believe that society places too much importance on identifying who is the smartest person in the room. A high IQ may indicate certain cognitive strengths, but it cannot fully capture curiosity, emotional judgement, creativity or the determination to keep working when an answer is not immediately clear. Some of the most valuable contributions come from people who ask better questions rather than those who simply arrive at answers faster.
For me, the more important question is not who had the highest IQ in history, but what made these individuals use their minds in ways that changed how others think, create and understand the world. Their legacy suggests that intelligence offers possibilities, while curiosity, perseverance and meaningful application help turn those possibilities into lasting contributions.
