Elon Musk is an entrepreneur, inventor, and scientist. He is the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors. Elon Musk has been named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people every year since 2007. People with high IQ scores are often good at developing new ideas (creativity) or using known ideas to solve problems (mental math).
What is the IQ score of Elon Musk?
Elon Musk topped a Reddit poll that asked users to vote for the person they believed had the highest IQ, receiving four times more votes than Stephen Hawking. There is no officially reported IQ test result for Elon Musk. However, it is estimated that his IQ score is 150 – 155, which is based on his scores from past aptitude tests.
IQ scores are classified as follows:
130 and over – “genius” or “very superior intelligence.” 120 to 129 – “superior intelligence.” 110 to 119 – “normal-high average intelligence.” 90 to 109 – “average, normal, or general level of intelligence.” 80 to 89 – “below-average level of intelligence.” 70 to 79 – “borderline” or “low average intelligence.” 69 and under – “extremely low IQ” or “very inferior intelligence.”
Based on this information, Elon Musk’s score of 150 – 155 would be classified as “genius”.
How does Elon Musk’s IQ score compare to other geniuses?
Although no official IQ test result for Elon Musk has been recorded, it is possible to compare his estimated score with that of other smart individuals throughout history. It’s safe to say that Elon Musk’s intelligence is similar to these individuals:
- Stephen Hawking (IQ 160) – English theoretical physicist and professor Stephen William Hawking cofounded the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge University.
- Charles Darwin (IQ 200) – English naturalist Charles Robert Darwin was an eminent English naturalist best known for his contributions to evolutionary theory.
- Albert Einstein (IQ 160-190) – German theoretical physicist Albert Einstein developed the general theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics.
- Benjamin Franklin (IQ 190) – American polymath and inventor Benjamin Franklin is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
- Isaac Newton (IQ 190) – English physicist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton formulated classical mechanics, made groundbreaking contributions to optics and shares credit with Gottfried Leibniz for developing calculus.
- Jeff Bezos (IQ 150) – The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos does not have an official IQ test score result, however most believe it to be around 150, which is roughly the same as the IQ score of Elon Musk.
- Nikola Tesla (IQ 200) – Serbian-American inventor of AC electricity, engineer, and physicist, Tesla is responsible for multiple breakthroughs in physics and engineering.
About IQ Tests
Most tests calculate IQ by scoring an individual’s performance on several different types of problems. A person may score quite high in some areas (verbal reasoning, for example) and lower in others (spatial awareness). The IQ score is obtained by taking the average of all of these different sections.
IQ test scores have received criticism over time, as some argue that they do not necessarily measure a person’s knowledge, only how quickly they can solve problems that are presented to them. An IQ score of 100 is considered average on most modern standardized tests.
If you want to know how you would score on an IQ test, try taking our quick IQ test.
About Elon Musk
Elon Musk was born in South Africa and was homeschooled by his mother from an early age, who taught him how to use computers when he was ten. She also encouraged him to read books about science. He always had a strong interest in space exploration and inventions.
Musk earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. After acquiring Canadian citizenship, he moved to California to attend Stanford University before dropping out to become a co-founder of PayPal. Musk went on to found SpaceX, a private space exploration company that aims to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. Elon Musk is currently the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and chief product architect of Tesla Motors, chairman of SolarCity, co-chairman of OpenAI, and founder of Neuralink.
He has received many awards, including the “Global Leadership Award” at The Future Awards as well as the “Lonely Island Innovation Award for Environmental Technologies” at the Vanity Fair New Establishment Summit. He was granted an honorary doctorate by the Pennsylvania State University in 2008.
His estimated current net worth is estimated to be over $300 billion, which he has gained from his roles in multiple companies as well as the high valuations of SpaceX and Tesla Motors.
Image credit:
JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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