Most “famous IQ” numbers you see online were never measured. Many of these people lived before modern IQ tests existed or never released a score. We label each one honestly: a reported score came from a real test; an estimate is an educated guess.
The geniuses
Einstein never took an IQ test. The 160 figure that appears everywhere is a popular estimate, not a measured score.
There is no record of Tesla taking an IQ test. Numbers online range from 160 to over 300 and are pure guesswork.
Newton lived 200 years before IQ tests. Historians have estimated scores for him from his writing and achievements, so treat any number as a guess.
Musk has never published an IQ score. Figures you see online are speculation.
Hawking said he did not know his IQ, and in a 2004 interview dismissed people who boast about theirs.
Feynman reportedly scored 125 on a school IQ test, above average but not “genius” range. He went on to win the Nobel Prize, proof that a test score is not everything.
Guinness World Records listed her 228 as the highest IQ from 1985 to 1989. In 1990 Guinness retired the category, deciding IQ tests were not reliable enough to name a single record holder.
Kasparov is often said to have been tested in the 1980s, but published numbers range from about 135 to 190 and none is confirmed.
What does a “genius” IQ mean?
There is no official genius cutoff. A score of 130 or more is in roughly the top 2% and qualifies for groups like Mensa when earned on an approved supervised test. Scores above 145 are in about the top 0.1%. Very high numbers like 200+ are statistically almost impossible on modern tests, which is a good sign that most celebrity IQs you read about are made up.
Where would you rank?
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