Marilyn vos Savant holds the distinction of having the highest recorded IQ ever, a staggering 228, far surpassing the estimated IQs of geniuses like Einstein (160-190), Hawking (160), and Musk (155). Despite her extraordinary intelligence, she faced significant ridicule for her response to a seemingly simple problem, but she saw what no one else could.
Marilyn’s journey was anything but ordinary from the start. By the age of 10, she had already memorized entire books, read all 24 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, and achieved the highest recorded IQ of 228. These feats suggested a life destined for genius, but reality took a different turn. In her own words, “No one paid much attention to me—mostly because I was a girl. And I accepted that.” She attended a regular public school and later left Washington University after two years to help run her parents’ business, leading a life that seemed ordinary despite her exceptional abilities.
Everything changed in 1985 when the Guinness Book of World Records listed her as having the “Highest IQ” ever recorded. Suddenly, Marilyn was thrust into the spotlight, featured on the covers of New York Magazine and Parade Magazine, and even appearing as a guest on Late Night with David Letterman.
Marilyn’s new fame led her to join Parade Magazine to write the iconic “Ask Marilyn” column, a dream come true for someone with a passion for writing. However, this dream quickly turned into a nightmare with a single question in September 1990. The question, known as the Monty Hall Problem, was simple yet deceptive: You’re on a game show with three doors, one hiding a car and the other two hiding goats. You choose a door, and the host opens another door, revealing a goat. Should you switch doors? Marilyn’s answer was clear: “Yes, you should switch.”
The backlash was overwhelming. She received over 10,000 letters, including nearly 1,000 from PhDs, insisting she was wrong. The criticism was harsh, with comments like “You are the goat!” and “Maybe women look at math problems differently than men.” But was she wrong? The math behind her answer was sound: if you pick the car (a 1/3 chance), switching loses; if you pick a goat (a 2/3 chance), switching wins. This gives you a 2/3 chance of winning if you switch.
Eventually, Marilyn’s answer was proven correct through various means. MIT ran computer simulations confirming her logic, and the TV show MythBusters tested it and reached the same conclusion. Some academics even apologized for their initial skepticism.
So why did so many fail to see the truth? The reasons are multifaceted: people “reset” the scenario instead of recognizing the shifting probabilities, the simplicity of the three doors obscured the underlying math, and many assumed each remaining door had a 50% chance. Marilyn blamed the compulsory schooling system for discouraging independent thinking, arguing that it creates passive learners, stifles exploration, and hinders critical thinking.
Despite the challenges, Marilyn views her intellect as a gift, not a curse. However, she admits that it often feels isolating, as there’s no one to turn to when she needs answers.
