Eleven-year-old Yusuf Shah is widely considered to be the smartest kid in the world in 2023. He made the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa intelligence test, beating out the scores of all his peers. Yusuf Shah is proving that intelligence and success can be achieved regardless of one's IQ or socioeconomic status. As journalist Amanda Ripley explains in her book, “The Smartest Kids in the World”, character skills and academics are more important than either of those two factors. Academic success is more dependent on self-discipline, perseverance, and the ability to think critically. Parents who read to their children, talk to them about books, movies, and the news of the day, and encourage them to persist in the face of adversity can help foster these skills and set their children up for success.
Abdulrahman Hussain, an Egyptian, has been declared "the smartest youngster in the world" after gaining first place in a global competition. In late December 2017, the Intelligent Mental Arithmetic international competition was conducted in Malaysia, putting students from over 70 countries to the test in demanding exercises. Out of 3,000 competitors, the thirteen-year-old Egyptian winner solved 230 math problems in under eight minutes to be named the smartest of them. The milestone achievement of the little youngster was no fluke. Batul Mohammed Montasser, Abdelrahman's tutor, revealed that he has been developing his mental powers for five years in preparation for the tournament. After all, the common Egyptian urban legend is true: the Egyptian child is the smartest in the world.