How high is Chris Langan’s IQ? Meet one of the smartest men in the World
Chris Langan's IQ is often one of the highest recorded. Despite lacking academic qualifications, Langan has been called the "smartest man in America'' with an estimated IQ higher than an ordinary person's. In an interview with Super Scholar, Langan discussed his self-directed intellectual pursuits, stating,
I took my intellectual destiny into my own hands as best I could.

Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Langan boasts an IQ level of between 195 and 210.
- Despite boasting high IQ levels, Chris Langan did not achieve greater success in life.
- Chris dropped out of school due to financial struggles and dissatisfaction.
Chris Langan's profile summary
Full name | Christopher Michael Langan |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | March 25, 1952 |
Age | 72 years old (as of March 2025) |
Place of birth | San Francisco, California, USA |
Current residence | Missouri, USA |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
Height | 6 feet |
Weight | 125 kg (approx) |
Mother | Mary Langan-Hansen |
Siblings | Three |
Relationship status | Married |
Wife | Gina |
Children | Three |
Education | Reed College and Montana State University |
Profession | Horse rancher and former bar bouncer |
Social media | X (Twitter) |
How high is Chris Langan's IQ?
Following a 2020 investigative test, Christopher Langan's IQ ranked 195 and 210. Although Langan is not the "smartest person on earth," his IQ is higher than that of ordinary people.
Langan views his high intelligence as a gift. Chris said,
we're all lucky and we're all born with something of our own, and the "smartest person in the world" just happens to be gifted with a brilliant mind.

Source: Original
Did Chris Langan take an IQ test?
Langan took the IQ test, the Mega Test, in 1986 under the pseudonym Eric Hart. His score on the IQ test reportedly earned him membership in the Hoeflin Research Group. He was also previously listed in the Guinness World Record book, along with Marilyn Vos Savant and Keith Raniere, among the few to ace the Mega test.
Is Chris Langan smarter than Einstein?
Chris Langan has an IQ of between 190 and 210, which is relatively higher than that of Albert Einstein, estimated to be approximately 160. However, Einstein's scientific contributions are far more than Langan's inventions-Cognitive-Theoretic Model of the Universe (CTMU).
What is Christopher Langan's net worth?
Chris Langan's fortune is not publicly documented. However, his wealth primarily consists of his horse farm in Missouri, where he resides with his wife Gina, a clinical neuropsychologist. He purchased the land after bagging $250,000 on the game show 1 vs. 100 in 2008.

Source: Youtube
Why wasn't Chris Langan successful?
Despite being one of the smartest guys in the world, a series of factors influenced Chris Langan's lack of conventional success. According to Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, Chris lacked social skills and support.
Christopher grew up in absolute poverty, which hindered his academic and professional progress, unlike figures like J. Robert Oppenheimer, who had a wealthy and cosmopolitan upbringing. Additionally, Langan dropped out of school multiple times due to financial struggles and dissatisfaction.
Langan's lack of academic credentials limited his career opportunities, leaving him to do odd jobs that did not provide a platform for his theories to gain mainstream recognition. It also hindered his work, notably his Cognitive-Theoretic Model of the Universe (CTMU), from being widely accepted or published in mainstream academic circles.
Who is the smartest person in the world?
Determining the "smartest person in the world" is challenging due to the subjective nature of intelligence and the limitations of IQ tests. However, Yahoo and Reader Digest report that the savviest man in the world is Younghoon Kim, with a high IQ of 276.
This is after he scored high on various experimental high-range tests conducted on him by the Giga Society. Kim is into neuroscience, finance, and biomedical engineering. The smartest person alive also works as an intelligence specialist advisor, encouraging others to unleash their brain potential.
Who has the highest IQ alive?
South Korean national Younghoon Kim is the highest IQ man in the world, with a staggering IQ of 276. Musical prodigy Marnen Laibow-Koser and Ainan Celeste Cawley take the second and third positions with IQ levels of 268 and 263, respectively.

Source: Getty Images
Trivia
- Chris Langan's mother is Mary Langan-Hansen.
- Chris, whose full name is Christopher Michael Langan (age 72 years old as of March 2025), was born in San Francisco, California, USA, on March 25, 1952.
- Langan grew up alongside his three younger half-brothers.
- Chris prefers a quiet life on a horse ranch in Missouri with his wife.
- Langan has worked as a bouncer, horse rancher, firefighter, and construction worker.
- Chris has worked as a bouncer, horse rancher, firefighter, and construction worker.
Chris Langan's IQ remains a topic of intrigue, with scores often cited as among the highest recorded. His life challenges the notion that a high IQ guarantees success and underscores the importance of social and environmental factors in achieving success.
READ ALSO: What was Einstein's IQ?
Briefly.co.za shared an article on Albert Einstein, a German-born theoretical physicist widely recognised for developing the theory of relativity.
Decades after his demise, Albert is still synonymous with genius due to his contribution to quantum physics. Explore facts about his IQ levels.
Source: Briefly News