What is Elon Musk’s IQ?
What is Elon Musk’s IQ? No test result exists; the 155 has no source, the record does.
Elon Musk has no published IQ test result: the 155 that circulates comes with no test, and The New York Times (April 5, 2025) reported a screenshot crediting it to Fox News, citing a site called Sociosite. This page’s estimate, 140–150, is inferred from his record — two Penn degrees, a reported SAT total of 1400 and the companies he built — not measured.
Elon Musk’s estimated IQ
- Two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, awarded in 1997: a B.A. in physics from the College of Arts and Sciences and a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School.
- Co-founded Zip2 (1995) and X.com (1999, merged into PayPal); founded SpaceX (2002), whose Falcon 1 reached orbit on September 28, 2008; led Tesla’s first funding round and became its chairman (2004); co-founded Neuralink (2016). The record spans software, aerospace and automotive engineering.
- A reported SAT total of 1400 (from Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography) is the only test score on record. It is an admissions test, not an IQ test.
- No IQ test score has ever been published for Musk, so the estimate rests on the documented record rather than on any measurement.
This is an estimate inferred from a documented record, not a test result. Historiometric estimates carry wide error margins and cannot be treated as equivalent to an administered assessment. The reported SAT total is an admissions-test score, not an IQ, and this range does not rest on it.
- Born
- June 28, 1971, Pretoria, South Africa
- Field
- Aerospace, automotive, software
- Education
- University of Pennsylvania — B.A. physics (College of Arts and Sciences), B.S. economics (Wharton)
- Degrees awarded
- 1997 (Musk has said 1995, when his studies ended)
- Reported SAT
- 1400, per Isaacson’s 2023 biography
- Published IQ test result
- None
- Known for
- SpaceX, Tesla, PayPal
- Roles as of October 2026
- CEO of Tesla and CEO of SpaceX
What an IQ of 140–150 actually means
Set the claim aside for a moment. If someone genuinely scored in this range, here is what that would represent.
Average is 100 by construction, and about two-thirds of people fall between 85 and 115. Take the test to place your own score on this scale.
| Score range | Classification | Share of people | What it indicates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 – 114 | Average | ~68% | The range most people fall into. |
| 115 – 129 | Above average | ~13.6% | Roughly one person in seven. |
| 130 – 144 | Gifted | ~2% | The threshold most high-IQ societies use. |
| Above 144 | Highly gifted | ~0.1% | Figures above this range are extrapolated from the curve rather than measured. |
Percentages are approximate and describe a normal distribution. The same number means different things on tests with different standard deviations.
Thirty questions gives you a measured position on this exact scale — your score, your percentile and the ability breakdown behind it.
Find out in 30 minutes →Who Elon Musk is
Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa, and attended the University of Pretoria for five months before moving to Canada. He arrived in June 1989, entered Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1990, and transferred to the University of Pennsylvania two years later. He studied there until 1995; Penn awarded him a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School in 1997.
In 1995 he was admitted to a graduate program in materials science at Stanford University and did not enroll, according to Wikipedia, which cites Vance’s biography. That year he co-founded Zip2, a company that licensed online city-guide software to newspapers, with Kimbal Musk and Greg Kouri; Compaq bought it in 1999. In March 1999 he co-founded X.com, which merged with Confinity in March 2000; eBay acquired PayPal on October 3, 2002.
He founded SpaceX on March 14, 2002. Its Falcon 1 reached orbit on the fourth attempt, on September 28, 2008, and in May 2020 SpaceX launched two NASA astronauts on Crew Dragon. Tesla was incorporated on July 1, 2003, by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning; Musk led its first funding round in February 2004, became chairman, and became CEO in October 2008. A 2009 settlement lets five men, Musk among them, call themselves Tesla co-founders.
Musk co-founded Neuralink in 2016 and launched the artificial intelligence company xAI in July 2023; SpaceX announced on February 2, 2026 that it had acquired xAI. As of October 2026, Wikipedia lists him as CEO of Tesla and CEO of SpaceX.
That breadth is what generates the speculation: a single number is an appealing shorthand for someone operating in several technical fields at once. But the shorthand is doing the work of an explanation it never earned: no test, date or administering body stands behind the 155.
By Elora Mercer, Celebrity Research WriterFigures checked by Leon Falkner, Data & Research AnalystReviewed by Aarav Vardhan, Editor-in-Chief · Last reviewed October 2026
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Elon Musk: the documented record
The estimate above rests on this record. Every entry here is a matter of public fact, which is more than can be said for the number itself.
- 1971Born June 28 in Pretoria, South Africa.
- 1989Arrives in Canada in June; enters Queen’s University, Kingston, in 1990.
- 1992Transfers to the University of Pennsylvania.
- 1995Penn studies end; admitted to a Stanford graduate program in materials science but does not enroll; co-founds Zip2.
- 1997Penn awards both bachelor’s degrees: a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in economics from Wharton.
- 1999Compaq buys Zip2; Musk co-founds X.com in March.
- 2002Founds SpaceX (March 14); eBay acquires PayPal (October 3).
- 2004Leads Tesla’s first funding round in February and becomes chairman.
- 2008Falcon 1 reaches orbit (September 28); Musk becomes Tesla CEO in October.
- 2026SpaceX announces it has acquired xAI, which Musk launched in July 2023 (February 2).
Where the 155 figure came from
Following a claim back to its first appearance is the part almost nobody does — and it is what most people are actually asking.
No IQ test result has been published for Elon Musk, and the 155 has no test behind it. In a piece published on April 5, 2025, Amanda Hess of The New York Times wrote that a circulating screenshot shows Fox News giving the number as 155 and citing Sociosite, which the Times described as a junk website, and that if Musk has ever taken an IQ test the results have not been made public. The screenshot is the only origin the Times gives for it. Riot IQ’s profile (November 12, 2025) says only that online claims reach “150, 155, 160, or even higher,” without naming a source, which fits how celebrity IQ numbers travel: the figure repeats and its source does not.
The only test score on record is not an IQ test. Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography reports an SAT total of 1400 (Newsweek also reports it). Musk took the SAT before it was recalibrated, so the same performance would score higher on a later scale. Converting the total gives about 122 to 124 by Riot IQ’s equations and more than 130 by Noah Smith’s, as the Times reported, which shows how much a conversion depends on its method (our SAT to IQ guide sets out the limits).
The degrees are documented; the date is where accounts differ. Wikipedia reports that Musk studied at the University of Pennsylvania until 1995 and has said he earned his degrees that year, while Penn did not award them until 1997. Ashlee Vance’s biography, in a passage Wikipedia quotes, says copies of Musk’s records show a dual degree in economics and physics in May 1997, and the Daily Pennsylvanian described him on May 30, 2020 as a “1997 College and Wharton graduate.” 1995 is when his studies ended; 1997 is when the degrees were conferred, a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in economics from Wharton.
Musk’s 155 can be set beside other founders profiled here. Bill Gates is the closest comparison by method: this site’s 150–160 for him is anchored to a test score, while Musk’s 140–150 rests on achievements. Peter Thiel co-founded Confinity in December 1998 with Max Levchin and Luke Nosek, and Confinity merged with Musk’s X.com in March 2000 to form the company that became PayPal. Jeff Bezos (145–155) and Mark Zuckerberg (135–145) carry circulating figures of 145 and 152. For data rather than estimates, see our news piece on the IQ of billionaires and what the Swedish data shows.
How we read a number →The New York Times (April 5, 2025) says that if Musk has ever taken an IQ test, the results have not been made public. Riot IQ (November 12, 2025) says there is no credible public record of him taking a professionally administered one. No page has Musk stating a score.
No interview, post or news report has Musk saying this. Recorded as an absence of evidence, not as a denial; the claim stays unverified.
Reports a circulating screenshot that credits 155 to Fox News, citing Sociosite, and says that if Musk has ever taken an IQ test the results have not been made public. Also reports Noah Smith’s estimate of more than 130 from the reported SAT score. Cited for the provenance of the 155, not for any figure.
Reports Isaacson’s SAT total of 1400, notes the test pre-dates recalibration, converts it to about 122 to 124, and says online claims reach 150, 155, 160 or higher with no source. Riot IQ is an online IQ-test publisher.
Reports the 1400 SAT total as given in Isaacson’s 2023 biography. Cited for the SAT figure only.
Birth date and place; five months at the University of Pretoria; arrival in Canada in June 1989; Queen’s University in 1990; transfer to Penn two years later; studies until 1995; B.A. in physics and B.S. in economics from Wharton, awarded 1997; 1995 Stanford admission, did not enroll; Neuralink and xAI dates; roles as of October 2026. Its reference list quotes Vance’s biography (appendix 1) on a dual degree in May 1997.
Student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania; describes Musk as a “1997 College and Wharton graduate.”
Dated company facts: Zip2 started in 1995 and bought by Compaq in 1999; X.com founded March 1999 and merged with Confinity in March 2000; eBay acquired PayPal on October 3, 2002; SpaceX founded March 14, 2002 and Falcon 1 in orbit on September 28, 2008; Tesla incorporated July 1, 2003, Musk chairman from February 2004 and CEO from October 2008, and the 2009 co-founder settlement; Neuralink founded 2016.
Reports that SpaceX has acquired Musk’s artificial-intelligence startup xAI. Wikipedia’s SpaceX article gives the announcement date as February 2, 2026.
The Times describes one circulating screenshot crediting 155 to Fox News, citing Sociosite. No page ties the 155 to a test, a date or an administering body.
The sources behind our estimate
The figures that circulate for Elon Musk, what we were able to confirm, and where the two diverge.
155, repeated across IQ listicles and aggregator sites as if settled. No page attaches a test, a date or an administering body to it. The New York Times (April 5, 2025) reported a circulating screenshot that credits the figure to Fox News, citing a site called Sociosite, which the Times described as a junk website.
No IQ test result for Elon Musk has been published. The Times wrote that if he has ever taken such a test, the results have not been made public, and no interview or post has Musk stating a score. The one test score on record is an SAT total of 1400, reported in Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography. It records exam performance, not general reasoning.
Unusually for this section, one figure dominates rather than several competing ones. That does not make it better sourced: a single number repeated at volume is still a single number nobody has traced to a test. The other figures in circulation are conversions of the SAT total, not test results: about 122 to 124 by Riot IQ, and more than 130 by Noah Smith, as the Times reported.
Want a number that does hold up? Every figure on this page is somebody’s claim. Take the 30-question test and get a percentile you can check rather than a figure you have to trust.
Elon Musk — frequently asked
What is Elon Musk’s IQ?
No IQ test result has been published for Elon Musk, so his IQ is not known. The 155 that circulates has no test behind it. This page’s estimate of 140–150 is inferred from his record: two Penn degrees awarded in 1997, a reported SAT total of 1400 and the companies he has built. It is an estimate, not a score.
How high is Elon Musk’s IQ?
No test shows how high. The dated record is strong: a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in economics from Penn, admission to a Stanford graduate program in 1995, and a Falcon 1 launch that reached orbit on September 28, 2008. That supports a high estimate such as this site’s 140–150, around an IQ of 145, but it cannot fix a number.
Has Elon Musk taken an IQ test?
No result has been made public. The New York Times wrote on April 5, 2025 that if he has taken one, the results are not public, and no interview or post has him giving a score. The one score on record is an SAT total of 1400, an admissions test, not an IQ test.
Where does Elon Musk’s IQ of 155 come from?
No test or administering body is attached to it. The New York Times (April 5, 2025) reported a circulating screenshot crediting 155 to Fox News, citing a site called Sociosite. An IQ comes from a standardized test (see how IQ tests work); a number repeated without one is a claim.
Did Elon Musk say he could not finish an IQ test?
No source supports that. No interview, post or news report has Musk saying he could not finish an IQ test, and the Times reports that no result is public, so treat the claim as unverified.
What was Elon Musk’s SAT score?
Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography reports a total of 1400 (Newsweek also reports it). He took it before the SAT was recalibrated, and conversions to IQ differ: about 122 to 124 by Riot IQ, above 130 by Noah Smith as the Times reported. The SAT is an admissions test, not an IQ test.
Is Elon Musk’s IQ higher than Bill Gates’s or Einstein’s?
No test can answer that. This site rates Musk at 140–150 from his achievement record, Bill Gates at 150–160 from a test-anchored (SAT-derived) estimate, and Albert Einstein at 160–180. Those ranges sit at or above Musk’s, but they use different methods and none is a measured IQ.
What did Elon Musk study at university?
Physics and economics at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a B.A. in physics and a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School. He entered Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1990 and transferred to Penn two years later. In 1995 he was admitted to a graduate program in materials science at Stanford and did not enroll.
Did Elon Musk graduate in 1995 or 1997?
Penn awarded his degrees in 1997. He studied there until 1995 and has said he earned the degrees that year, but Wikipedia reports that Penn did not award them until 1997. Ashlee Vance’s biography says copies of his records show a dual degree in economics and physics in May 1997, and the Daily Pennsylvanian calls him a 1997 graduate.
Which companies has Elon Musk founded or led?
As of October 2026: Zip2 (1995, co-founder), X.com (1999, co-founder; merged into PayPal), SpaceX (2002, founder and CEO), Tesla (chairman from 2004, CEO since October 2008), Neuralink (2016, co-founder) and xAI (launched 2023), which SpaceX announced it had acquired on February 2, 2026.
How does my IQ compare with Elon Musk?
You can find out in about fifteen minutes. The IQ Metrics assessment is 30 questions, scored on the same 100-mean scale used throughout this page, so your result and the estimate above are at least expressed in the same units — one measured, one inferred. Once you have a number, the leaderboard shows where it would sit, and how we score and norm it explains the benchmarking.
Where does this estimate come from?
From the documented record rather than a test — the method is named above and set out in full under how we read a number. Compare it against the other business & tech profiles, starting with Steve Jobs.
- Take the 30-question IQ test — get a measured score and percentile of your own
- Average IQ by country — how the scale behaves across populations
- How IQ Metrics scores its assessment — the method behind our own number
- More on how IQ testing works — reliability, error and what a score can and cannot say
- More business & tech profiles — same field, same method
More business & tech
Photograph by Xuthoria, CC BY-SA 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Tyren Redd, CC BY 4.0. Background removed for the portrait above. · Photograph by Nick Webb (May 2010), CC BY 2.0. Cropped and with background removed for the portrait above.
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