Who is Eric Weinstein? From Harvard PhD to Thiel Capital
Eric Weinstein is a mathematical physicist, economist, and researcher. He also prides himself on being part of the Intellectual Dark Web, with unconventional perspectives. He believes society can only be changed by people who do not conform to pressure and told Big Think in 2019:
You want people who, when asked to push the buzzer to administer an electric shock, tell the experimenter to buzz off rather than the people who go along with it when they're assured that they will not be held personally responsible.
Source: Instagram
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Eric Weinstein previously worked in finance under billionaire Peter Thiel.
- He developed Geometric Unity, a theory of everything that unifies the fundamental forces of physics.
- Eric is Jewish and married to economist Pia Malaney, with whom he shares two children.
Eric Weinstein's profile summary
| Full name | Dr. Eric Ross Weinstein |
| Date of birth | October 26, 1965 |
| Age | 59 years old as of April 2025 |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Pia Malaney (1996 to date) |
| Children | Naila Weinstein, Zev Weinstein |
| Siblings | Bret Weinstein (brother) |
| Education | Harvard University (PhD)University of Pennsylvania (BA and MA) |
| Profession | Mathematical physicist, economist, researcher, and podcast host |
| Net worth | Approx. $10 million—$20 million |
| Social media | InstagramX (Twitter)YouTubeLinkedIn |
| Website | ericweinstein.org |
Eric Weinstein: Harvard math PhD
Weinstein graduated from Harvard University in 1992 with a PhD in Mathematical Physics. He earned his master's and bachelor's degrees in Mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania.
He also received a fellowship at the Racah Institute of Physics at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and a National Science Foundation fellowship at MIT. Eric Weinstein's IQ is estimated to lie between 150 and 160, although he has not officially measured it.
Source: Original
Eric Weinstein worked for billionaire Peter Thiel
The mathematician was the managing director at Peter Thiel's San Francisco-based investment firm, Thiel Capital, until 2022. He started working with the billionaire investor in 2013 as an economist and consultant.
Eric Weinstein and Peter Thiel's relationship goes beyond work. The two often engage in intellectual discussions and interviews.
In 2005, Weinstein founded a hedge fund called Natron Group in New York City. He was with the company until 2012, according to his LinkedIn profile. The mathematician was also a visiting Research Fellow at Oxford University's Mathematical Institute from 2012 to 2015.
Eric has also held research positions at major universities like MIT, Harvard, and the Hebrew University. In 2019, he launched The Portal Podcast to host deep conversations with influential guests like neuroscientist Sam Harris and entrepreneur Andrew Yang.
Source: Instagram
Eric Weinstein proposed the theory of everything: Geometric Unity
The theory of everything (TOE) has kept scientists busy as they try to piece together a framework that fully explains and links together all aspects/the laws of the universe. Stephen Hawking made groundbreaking progress in the field through the discovery of the Hawking Radiation, which explains black holes.
In a 2013 article by The Guardian, Eric Weinstein claimed to have cracked TOE through his proposed theory, Geometric Unity. He later gave a lecture at the University of Oxford. The theory introduces a 14-dimensional space called 'observerse' which contains the familiar four-dimensional spacetime continuum.
Eric suggests that fundamental forces and particles emerge naturally from the extended geometric structure rather than being imposed separately. Geometric Unity has been met with scepticism from scientists in the theoretical physics field. Weinstein has yet to publish an academic paper in scientific journals.
Source: Instagram
Eric Weinstein coined the Intellectual Dark Web
Mathematician Eric Weinstein came up with the term Intellectual Dark Web (IDW) in 2018. It describes a group of thinkers who challenge mainstream narratives and explore controversial topics like identity politics and political correctness using alternative media platforms. Famous figures associated with IDW include Ben Shapiro, Sam Harris, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and Jordan Peterson.
Source: Instagram
Eric Weinstein's wife is a Jewish Indian
Eric Weinstein has been married to Dr. Pia Malaney since July 1996. She was born to a Jewish mother and Indian father and grew up in India. She described her experiences growing up in the country during her August 2017 appearance on The Rubin Report.
Malaney is a professional economist and researcher with an economics PhD from Harvard University and a BA from Wellesley College. She is a senior economist at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. Pia also occasionally works with her husband, Eric. The couple discovered that Gauge Theory underlies economics.
Source: Instagram
Eric Weinstein is a doting father of two
Pia Malaney and Weinstein have two kids: daughter Naila Weinstein and son Zev Weinstein. Not much is known about them, but the mathematical physicist posts them on special days like Thanksgiving, birthdays, and graduation. Eric is unsurprisingly very musical and often plays the guitar and the piano during his downtime with friends and family.
Source: Instagram
Eric Weinstein is not related to Harvey Weinstein
Eric Weinstein and Harvey Weinstein are not related despite their similar last names and having Jewish roots. Harvey has a younger brother called Bob Weinstein, a film producer, while the Mathematician has a brother called Dr. Bret Weinstein.
Bret is also well-learned with a PhD in evolutionary biology from the University of Michigan. He was a professor of biology at Evergreen State College in Washington State until 2017. Bret currently hosts the DarkHorse Podcast alongside his wife, Heather Heying.
Source: Getty Images
Eric Weinstein has built his name across multiple domains, from academia to finance. He continues to push boundaries as a public intellectual.
READ ALSO: What is the highest IQ ever recorded? The top 35 smartest people of all time
Briefly.co.za highlighted some of the world's smartest people based on their IQ. Intelligence is a complex trait, but those who are considered intelligent have made groundbreaking contributions to their respective fields.
Historical figures like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking are some of the smartest minds to ever live. Modern geniuses include people like Dr Young Hoon Kim, Terence Tao, Christopher Hirata, and Marilyn Vos Savant.
Source: Briefly News
