Kanye West has been known for his outlandish ideas, numerous creative projects, and bids such as running for president. However, does he have the intelligence quotient to back it all up?
Kanye claims that his IQ is 133. This puts him at the very top – the 98th percentile. There is no way for us to verify these claims, but nobody is disputing it, either.
There are several celebrities whose IQs might be surprising to some. Read on to find out more about how Kanye might be troubled due to high IQ and how he manages to get so much done.
Kanye’s IQ Is Reportedly Mensa Level
Mensa might just be the world’s most exclusive club; only the top 2% of the world is allowed in. Of course, it’s not a club in the sense of one that you might expect to see Kanye West and other artists at. Instead, it’s a non-profit organization that caters to the most highly intelligent people of Planet Earth.
The organization is founded on a principle of equality. The word mensa itself means ‘table’ in Latin, reflecting the feeling of everyone sitting around a table, together. This means that whether you’re a superstar rapper or a fisherman, you can join Mensa by proving your mettle through any approved test.
In October 2018, when Kanye was knee-deep in recording what was supposed to be his ninth studio album Yandhi in the East-Central Africa country of Uganda, he took to Periscope (remember that?) to talk to (or at) his fans for nearly ten minutes.
Kanye, who was 41 at the time, lambasted social media for making him look more “crazy” than he actually was. He casually mentioned: “For me, you know, I just got back my IQ scores and they were Mensa level. 133, 98th percentile, like straight up Sigmund Freud Tesla vibes.”
Interestingly, the video came after West had taken a break from social media, which lasted a full week – perhaps more than what most of us can manage.
Given that Mensa had just 50,000 members in the US and 130,000 globally in 2018, this would certainly put Kanye at a very elevated status. This might be why he bemoaned “when people try to influence you through social media and try to tell you what to do.”
Some Very Famous Celebrities Have A Near-Genius IQ
Whether it’s former-celebrity and the current US President declaring himself a “stable genius” or Kanye’s lowkey dropping of his test scores, the fact is that many entertainers and public figures have an IQ that would surprise you.
Shakira, who recently made waves on social for completing an online course from Penn on ancient philosophy, previously shocked people when Mensa reported the talented and beautiful musician and actress had an IQ of 140. Anyone with an IQ above 139 is considered close to genius according to reports, so this is not news to scoff at.
Another stone-cold beauty (no pun intended) with an IQ close to the brightest stars of the academic world is Sharon Stone, clocking in at 154, and calling herself a “nerdy, ugly duckling”.
There’s also the case of high-school dropout Quentin Tarantino, a filmmaker known for his action-packed, violent movies. While Tarantino only cared for the history class just because “it was kind of like the movies”, Tarantino’s IQ of 160 puts him in the category of bona fide geniuses.
Comedian Steve Martin also wrote a piece for The New Yorker all the way back in 1997 detailing his comedic struggles to get into Mensa. Steve Martin, star of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles and Three Amigos nearly became a college professor after graduating with a major in philosophy – and with an IQ of 142, there’s no wonder the man has more than 15 books to his name, as well as many screenplays.
With these names, Kanye is not just in good company with his fellows at Mensa, but with super-smart people in the celebrity world as well.
Mensa Might Not Like People Branding Themselves As Geniuses
Mensa, while a society for the highly intellectual, reportedly does not endorse a blanket usage of the word ‘genius’.
In an interview with four members of Mensa, we learn that the definition of the word varies. One member even commented directly on Kanye: “some of that sheen is taken away from him when he talks about himself so highly”.
Another member, a retired finance director, maintains: “If you pass that test, all it proves is that you have a certain IQ. That is not the same as making you an intelligent person, never mind a genius. You can have a very high IQ and be a complete idiot.”