William James Sidis spoke 25 languages and had an IQ 100 points higher than Albert Einstein’s, but the smartest man in the world just wanted to live his life in seclusion.
William James Sidis: A Child Prodigy Like No Other
Sidis ArchivesWilliam James Sidis was widely known as the smartest person in the world, but his story ended in tragedy.
When William James Sidis was just 18 months old, he was able to read The New York Times.
By the time he was six years old, he could speak multiple leanguages, including English, French, German, Russian, Hebrew, Turkish, and Armenian.
As if that wasn’t impressive enough, William James Sidis also invented his own language as a child (though it’s unclear if he ever used it as an adult). The ambitious youngster also wrote poetry, a novel, and even a constitution for a potential utopia.
Wikimedia CommonsBoris Sidis, William’s father, was a polyglot and he wanted his son to be one as well.
The Unparalleled IQ Of William James Sidis
Wikimedia CommonsThe town of Cambridge, Massachusetts, home of Harvard University, in the 1910s.
For context, 100 is considered an average IQ score, while below 70 is often viewed as substandard. Anything above 130 is considered gifted or very advanced.
Some historical IQs that have been reverse-analyzed include Albert Einstein with 160, Leonardo da Vinci with 180, and Isaac Newton with 190.
Sidis ArchivesWilliam James Sidis was a child prodigy admitted to Harvard at just 11 years old — but life would not turn out as expected for the world’s smartest man.
The “World’s Smartest Person” Spends His Last Decades In Seclusion
Sidis ArchivesWilliam James Sidis spent his last decades mostly in seclusion.
On July 17, 1944, William James Sidis died of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 46.
