The woman with the highest IQ ever: How a mathematical puzzle caused a stir in the world

In September 1990, a seemingly simple question sparked an unprecedented academic controversy. A woman, documented to have the highest IQ of all time (228), received over 10,000 angry letters—almost 1,000 from PhD holders. She must have been wrong. But what followed proved something entirely different: Marilyn vos Savant’s story is not only that of a genius but also a lesson in how intelligence and public perception can collide.

An extraordinary childhood and the path to the record

Even as a child, it was evident that Marilyn would be extraordinary. At just ten years old, she possessed a photographic memory that allowed her to store entire books in her mind. She read all 24 volumes of the Encyclopædia Britannica—not just superficially, but with genuine understanding of the content. Her cognitive abilities were so exceptional that in 1985, she was officially listed in the Guinness Book of World Records: as the person with the highest measured IQ ever.

This not only surpassed contemporary geniuses but also the greatest thinkers in human history. While Albert Einstein is estimated to have an IQ between 160 and 190, Stephen Hawking scored around 160, and even Elon Musk is rated at 155, Marilyn established a completely new dimension: 228. A number that seemed to create a chasm between her and the rest of the world.

But reality did not match the myth. Marilyn attended an ordinary public school. She studied for two years at the University of Washington but then dropped out to support her family business. The world did not recognize her genius—or did not care to. “No one was particularly interested in me, mostly because I am a girl,” she would later reflect. She accepted this as her reality.

The Monty Hall phenomenon: a problem that confounded thousands

The turning point came in 1985 when Guinness confirmed her historic record. Suddenly, Marilyn was in the spotlight. Magazines like New York Magazine and Parade featured her on their covers. She appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman. The dream of every brilliant writer materialized: she got a position at Parade and was allowed to write her own column, “Ask Marilyn.”

What started as a dream quickly turned into a public nightmare.

In September 1990, a reader posed the following question—a mathematical puzzle later named after the American TV host Monty Hall:

You are participating in a game show. In front of you are three doors. Behind one door is a car; behind the other two are goats. You choose one door. The host then opens another door, revealing a goat. Now he offers you the chance to switch your choice. Should you switch?

Marilyn answered clearly: “Yes, you should switch.”

The reaction was devastating. About 90% of the readership was convinced she was wrong. The letters were often insulting:

• “You are the goat, you fool!”
• “You totally messed up!”
• “Maybe women see mathematical problems differently than men.”

Among the thousand PhD holders were mathematicians and statisticians who pointed out her “shortcoming.” For many, it was unthinkable that a woman—no matter how intelligent—could be right when thousands of academic degrees claimed otherwise.

The mathematical truth behind the controversy

But here lies the fascinating twist: Marilyn was completely correct. And the mathematical reasoning is not complex but only requires a bit of patience to think through.

Consider two possible scenarios:

Scenario 1: You initially chose the door with the car (probability: 1/3)

• If you switch, you lose.

Scenario 2: You initially chose a door with a goat (probability: 2/3)

• The host must reveal the other goat.
• If you switch, you win the car.

The mathematical conclusion: The probability of winning if you switch is 2/3—significantly higher than the 1/3 chance if you stay.

MIT conducted extensive computer simulations that confirmed Marilyn’s answer. The MythBusters team also performed physical experiments to demonstrate this practically. Some of the academics who were so confident admitted their mistake and publicly apologized. The Monty Hall problem was now mathematically, experimentally, and scientifically definitively settled.

Why our minds fail to understand this problem

But why do so many intelligent people struggle to grasp this logic? The answer lies in human psychology, not in a lack of mathematics:

Mental Bias: People tend to “forget” their initial assessment when new information arrives. Psychologically, we reset the situation as if it were a new problem with only two options—leading us to believe the odds are 50-50.

Sample size: With only three doors, the problem is unintuitive. With larger numbers (imagine 100 doors, with 98 revealed), the logic becomes immediately obvious: you definitely want to switch.

Cognitive bias: People unconsciously assume each door has an equal probability. This symmetrical assumption is tempting but mathematically incorrect—it overlooks the crucial role of the host.

Marilyn vos Savant, with her documented highest IQ ever, saw something others overlooked: not because she was smarter, but because she recognized the underlying logic without being misled by intuitive biases. Sometimes, the highest intelligence is simply the ability to think clearly when others see confusion.