This is intended to be the largest and most rigorous source of IQ estimations available, with estimates generated for both groups and people. These include both mathematical estimations and arbitrary judgements. Mathematical estimations are informed by quantitative methods which use variables such as wealth, years of education, and standardized test scores to estimate how intelligent an individual is.
The methodology is described here. Each figure has a link to the information and the simulation code that generated their estimate. Elon Musk’s estimate is a good case study for those who want an introduction into how I estimate IQ.
Standard errors are reported in parenthesis.
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Mathematical Estimates
Public Intellectuals:
Ibram X Kendi: 100 (7)
Richard Spencer: 128 (9.4)
Richard Hanania: 131 (9.4)
Aella: 132 (10.7)
Anatoly Karlin: 134 (5.7)
Lex Fridman: 135 (7.5)
gwern: 136 (7.5)
Scott Alexander: 138, (8) (verbal: 145)
Jordan Peterson: 138 (7)
Destiny: 141 (8.9)
Eliezer Yudkowsky: 151 (5)
Curtis Yarvin: 154 (8)
Chris Lagnan: 168 (6.6)
Academics:
EO Wilson: 124 (6.4)
William Shockley: 126 (5.5)
Richard Lynn: 131 (6.4)
Greg Cochran: 135 (7.5)
Charles Murray: 136 (8)
Richard Feynman: 139 (10) (very difficult to tell, because he may be joking about the score of 125)
Arthur Jensen: 145 (8)
Steven Pinker: 159 (8)
Terence Tao: 173 (7.2)
Politicians:
Joe Biden: 121 (12) (note the large standard error)
John F Kennedy: 124 (6.6)
George Bush: 127 (6)
Vladmir Putin: 129 (13)
Obama: 130 (9.4)
Adolf Hitler: 134 (8.1)
Donald Trump: 134 (9)
Al Gore: 135 (7.5)
Richard Nixon: 148 (7)
Celebrities:
Scarlett Johansson: 109 (9)
Joe Rogan: 127 (5.8)
Kanye West: 132 (8.9)
Andrew Tate: 133 (13.6)
Marilyn vos Savant: 135 (6.5)
Jess Oppenheimer: 137 (9)
Mark Zuckerberg: 146 (8.7)
Elon Musk: 148 (7.6)
Vitalik Buterin: 149 (11.8)
Bill Gates: 155 (9.4)
Paul Allen: 157 (9.4)
Criminals:
Martin Bryant: 66 (6.6)
Carel J Deplort: 79 (6.6)
Nikolas Cruz: 85 (6.6)
Charles Manson: 115 (5)
George Banks: 118 (6.6)
James Holmes: 121 (5)
Ted Bundy: 122 (6.6)
Dylan Roof: 123 (6.6)
David Copeland: 123 (6.6)
Charles Whitman: 123 (12)
Timothy McVeigh: 123 (6.6)
Franz Fuchs: 135 (6.6)
Priscilla Ford: 135 (6.6)
Edmund Kemper: 140 (4.8)
Ted Kaczynski: 144 (5.5)
Alvin Lee King: 146 (6.6)
Gamers:
Doublelift: 131 (11)
Gary Kasparov: 135 (5.7)
FORG1VEN: 140 (N/A)
EliGE: 145 (9)
Faker: 146 (N/A)
Magnus Carlsen: 151 (N/A)
Fictional Characters:
Categories:
LoL NA Challenger: 123
LoL EUW Challenger: 124
LoL KR Challenger: 127
Chess GM: 128
Eminent Scientist: 149
Arbitrary Assessments:
Public Intellectuals:
Ibram X Kendi: 105
Roko: 127
UBERSOY: 130
Nullsci: 131
Richard Spencer: 132
Aella: 133
Lex Fridman: 133
Destiny: 134
Anatoly Karlin: 135
Emil Kirkegaard: 136
Richard Hanania: 136
Scott Alexander: 136, (verbal: 145)
gwern: 136
Zero HP Lovecraft: 137
Bronze Age Pervert: 141
Jordan Peterson: 142
Eliezer Yudkowsky: 143, (crystalized: 153)
Curtis Yarvin: 155
Chris Lagnan: 180
Academics:
EO Wilson: 126
William Shockley: 127
Richard Lynn: 130
Greg Cochran: 136
Charles Murray: 138
Richard Feynman: 145 (mathematical: 170)
Arthur Jensen: 150
Terence Tao: 165
Politicians:
Joe Biden: 108 (currently)
George Bush: 125
Donald Trump: 125
Joe Biden: 126 (before dementia onset)
John F Kennedy: 127
Vladmir Putin: 131
Adolf Hitler: 132
Obama: 133
Al Gore: 135
Richard Nixon: 145
Celebrities:
Scarlett Johansson: 109
Kanye West: 115
Joe Rogan: 126
Andrew Tate: 135
Marilyn vos Savant: 135
Jess Oppenheimer: 140
Mark Zuckerberg: 145
Elon Musk: 150
Vitalik Buterin: 150
Bill Gates: 154
Paul Allen: 159
Criminals:
Martin Bryant: 66
Carel J Deplort: 79
Nikolas Cruz: 87
Charles Manson: 116
George Banks: 118
James Holmes: 121
Ted Bundy: 122
Dylan Roof: 126
David Copeland: 123
Charles Whitman: 123
Timothy McVeigh: 125
Franz Fuchs: 135
Priscilla Ford: 135
Edmund Kemper: 140
Alvin Lee King: 146
Ted Kaczynski: 149
Gamers:
Doublelift: 124
Gary Kasparov: 139
FORG1VEN: 145
Faker: 146
EliGE: 148
Magnus Carlsen: 157
Fictional Characters:
Categories:
NA LoL Challenger player: 125
EU LoL Challenger player: 126
CN (Ionia) LoL top 200: 129
KR LoL Challenger player: 130
Chess GM: 135
Eminent (+5SD) Scientist: 145
Eminent (+5SD) Worker (cognitively demanding profession): 140
Eminent (+5SD) Social Scientist: 138
Eminent (+5SD) Musician: 126
Billionaire: 130
It would be great to see estimation for Einstein and John von Neumann
My impression is that using Hoeflin test data in a regression model will always prove quite fruitless.
It's patently absurd to assume that the Mega Test, for example, matches the general population distribution of intelligence. Any claim on behalf of Omni that its readers have an average IQ of 140 SD16 is immaterial (and a distortion of evidence). Omni's total circulation substantially exceeded 700000 copies per month, of which only a miniscule and self-selected fraction bothered with sending in answers for these tests. What that number actually represents is data reported to Ronald Hoeflin regarding prior scores of those who did. There are of course plentiful reasons to doubt the validity of the official norm. Redvaldsen reanalyzed this data and concluded that officially issued scores were inflated by around ten points at the highest level. This study is unfortunately not of much higher quality than Hoeflin's own original data -- it downplays the value of the old SAT as a high-range test while instead regressing against antiquated editions of the SB. It is better to use the SAT in norming the Mega, since both are primarily crystallized (as suggested by the low correlations of the Mega with fluid tests). Another issue besides norm inflation comprises the low range-corrected correlations obtained from Dr. Hoeflin's tests against reliable and valid instruments. Correlations to tests such as the WAIS, SB, and CTMM average ~0.3 without correcting for range restriction, but not much higher after doing so.
Untimed hobby tests do not belong in the same regression model as properly standardized ones. I've taken a few. If I were to believe Hoeflin's Power Test, LS60, and SLSE 48, I would be forced to conclude my spatial ability is at least five standard deviations above the mean. This is exceedingly unlikely. Marilyn vos Savant's childhood score was improperly computed. On a deviation scale, I believe I recall the actual value (which her psychologist flubbed the arithmetic on even for ratio IQ) would be about 2 2/3 SDs.