London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026

Boy gets highest possible IQ score beating Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking

Boy gets highest possible IQ score beating Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking

An 11-year-old schoolboy has achieved a higher IQ score than two of the world’s most famous geniuses.

Yusuf Shah’s friends in Leeds are always telling him he is very smart, but he wanted to find out for himself by taking the Mensa test.

He scored 162 – the maximum IQ for under-18s, putting him in the top one percent of all people.

Stephen Hawking is said to have scored 160 and Albert Einstein, who although never officially took the test, is believed to have got the same.

Yusuf celebrated his special achievement with a meal at Nando’s with his parents and brothers.

He said: ‘I have always wanted to know if I was in the top two percent of people who take the test.

‘It feels special to have a certificate for me and about me.’


Yusuf Shah with his brothers, Zaki and Khalid, mum Sana and father Irfan

The Year Six student hopes to study mathematics at Cambridge or Oxford and said he loves doing anything that stimulates his brain.

When he is not studying, the maths whiz enjoys sudokus and solving Rubik’s cubes.

He started playing with the iconic cubes in January and it only took him one month before he could solve them with ease.

His delighted mum Sana said: ‘I was so proud. He is the first person to take the Mensa test in the family.

‘I was actually a little concerned too. He has always gone into a hall full of kids to take tests.

‘We thought he might be intimidated by the adults at the centre. But he did brilliantly.

‘I still tell him that, “Your dad is still smarter than you.” We take it all light-heartedly.

‘Even if you are talented, you have to be the hardest worker.’

Yusuf’s eight-year-old brother Khalid is also hoping to take the Mensa test when he’s older.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
×