Is a genius-level IQ a gift or a curse?
Albert Einstein insisted he wasn't especially smart. He just stayed with problems longer. Yet some people carry estimated IQs even higher than his. Tom Learmont profiles ten of them, from a Nobel pioneer and a chess prodigy to a tech co-founder and a head of government. Some turned their gifts into history-making careers. Others battled isolation, obsession and ruin. Learmont argues that intelligence is only ever potential. Curiosity, perseverance and the right nurturing decide what comes next. So is genius a gift or a curse? The answers are not always what you'd expect.
By Tom Learmont
Smarter than Einstein - 10 highly successful, high IQ individuals in recent
Albert Einstein when asked, spoke self-deprecatingly on his intelligence, saying:
“It’s not that I’m so smart, I just stay with problems longer.”
Gifted with a genius level IQ (160), his lifetime success was greatly enhanced with the complimentary traits of intellectual curiosity and perseverance.
Being a famous academic dropout and post office worker, Einstein’s contribution to theoretical physics could easily have fallen by the wayside if he never possessed these additional key success traits. High IQ and general intelligence are, by themselves, not indicators of future success or achievement. It is simply an indicator of potential, nothing more.
Every luminary in this article has a higher recorded IQ than Albert Einstein and his modern-day counterpart Stephan Hawking.
10. Thomas Sowell (June 30, 1930) - IQ 162+
Possibly the most articulate genius on this list, he is an American author, economist, social theorist, and political commentator who holds a senior fellowship at the Hoover Institution.
At 93, he is still a cognitive powerhouse who is prolifically published and widely sighted. He continues to put out work that is thoughtful, relevant and seasoned with wisdom.
He was a recipient of the National Humanities Medal from President George W. Bush in 2002.
9. Marie Curie (November 7, 1867) - IQ 180-200 by different measures
A rare genius and the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, for her study into spontaneous radiation.
Not stopping there, in 1911 she was the first person to receive a second Nobel Prize, this time in Chemistry, in recognition of her work in radioactivity.
She is perhaps best known for her research into radioactivity (a term she coined), which was instrumental in the development of x-rays in surgery and medical imaging in general. A truly magnificent mind
8. Benjamin Netanyahu (October 21, 1949) - IQ 180
Benjamin Netanyahu served as the prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999, and then a decade later, was re-elected to the same position. He remained in power from 2009 to 2021, and again from 2022. making him Israel’s longest-serving prime minister since Israel became an independent state in 1948.
Natural Intelligence needs to be nurtured. Characteristics of Highly intelligent people. Adaptability: High IQ people are flexible and willing to try new things and explore different ways of approaching a problem.
Curiosity: Highly intelligent People never lose their sense of wonder and are always keenly invested in learning more about their interests and from others.
Empathy: Intelligent people also tend to be interested in others, including their feelings. They have a great deal of emotional intelligence, which means they are skilled at understanding, managing, and expressing emotions.
Open-minded: High IQ people are willing to approach problems with an open mind. They enjoy novelty and crave new experiences.
Solitary pursuits: Research suggests that intelligent people prefer spending time alone. Research has found that spending more time with people led to less overall satisfaction with life. Preferring to spend time focusing on personal or work-related projects rather than spending time socialising.
7. Paul Allen (January 21, 1953) - IQ Score: 165
In early life he discovered a deep passion for computers which grew after becoming friends with Bill Gates at school. He dropped out of Harvard University in 1974 and persuaded Bill Gates to do the same. The following year, they established Microsoft… And that, as they say, was that!
He has also been awarded two honorary bachelor’s degrees and two honorary doctorates. Not bad for a college dropout.
6. Edith Stern (b. 1952) IQ 200+
Born in Brooklyn to impoverished Holocaust survivors who had married in the Warsaw Ghetto, she had heard her father read the entire Encyclopaedia Britannica aloud to her by the age of five, with the goal of setting her up for intellectual success. A gifted child who began college at age 12, she continued to excel at math as an adult. She started at IBM in the 1970’s, quickly rising through the ranks and serving as vice president for research and development.
5. Judit Polgár (July 23, 1976) - IQ Score: 170
Renowned Hungarian chess grandmaster, she is often considered to be the best female chess player of all time. In 1991, at the age of 15 years and 4 months, she became the youngest person to earn the ‘Grandmaster’ title, surpassing the previous record holder, former World Champion Bobby Fischer.
She was also one of the first female veterans to compete in a world chess competition and the first woman to defeat Garry Kasparov, the number one veteran. Today, she continues to maintain her winning attitude.
4. Garry Kasparov (April 13, 1963) - IQ 190+
Soviet-born chess master Garry Kasparov was considered the world’s best chess player for over two decades. A total legend, at only 22 years old, Kasparov became the youngest world chess champion in 1985, by defeating then-champion Anatoly Karpov.
3. Philip Emeagwali (August 23, 1954) - IQ 190
A celebrated computer scientist who is credited with developing microprocessor technology that exponentially sped up computers, his work paved the way for the development of the Internet.
After leaving school to fight in the Nigerian-Biafran War at 13 years old, he went on to obtain his high school equivalency and completed an undergraduate degree in mathematics at Oregon State University, followed by three graduate degrees in mathematics, environmental engineering, and marine engineering. His story is a true testament to overcoming adversity.
2. Srinivasa Ramanujan (December 22, 1887) - IQ 185
One of the most influential mathematicians in the world, he made significant contributions to the analytical theory of numbers, as well as elliptic functions, continued fractions, and infinite series. His genius is notable for having developed his mathematical achievements mostly in isolation and being a truly disruptive thinker.
Would you rather be happy or would you rather be right?
If you have ever taken a personality test this question will seem familiar.
Many high IQ folks report feeling isolated in childhood, often hiding their intelligence from others, not wanting to standout for fear of being singled out.
Genius level individuals are exceedingly rare. They can, at times, be seen to not quite fit in. They may even come across as odd or strange… Possibly obsessive.
The debate still rages, is genius a gift or a curse. The last genius is an example of natural gifts not receiving the proper nurture.
1. Nikola Tesla (July 10, 1856) - IQ 170 to 300 by different measures
Quite appropriately, this tortured genius was born during a lightning storm in 1856.
He would go on to invent the Tesla coil and alternating current generators. Radio controlled drones and famously divined that his technology would allow for world-wide wireless communication.
A flamboyant showman, Tesla developed obsessive compulsive disorder, which compelled him to do things in threes, including only inhabiting a hotel room that was divisible by the number three. He had an obsession with pigeons and an aversion to women wearing earrings, contributing to his reputation as eccentric.
He had an intense rivalry with Thomas Edison throughout his life, which distracted the troubled genius and contributed to his mental health issues.
In 1900, JP Morgan invested US$150,000 in Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower - a transatlantic wireless communication system that Tesla never completed. The Serbian physicist died penniless in a New York City hotel room in 1943.
He was immortalised by Elon Musk and his successful electric car.