Is Warren Buffett the Smartest Investor that Ever Lived? An Inside Look at His Genius IQ and Success Traits

As an investing enthusiast, you’ve likely asked yourself questions like:

• What’s the source of Warren Buffett’s investing brilliance?
• Does he succeed based on intellect alone or other attributes?
• Just how high is Warren Buffett’s IQ score anyway?

I’ve explored those questions myself many times while reading about Buffett’s unrivaled accomplishments. After lots of research, I’m going to share insights into the legendary investor’s intelligence, unique habits, critiques, wisdom and what we can learn from him. Let’s dive in!

Estimating Warren Buffett’s IQ Score

First, let’s examine what data reveals about Warren Buffett’s IQ. While Buffett has never directly divulged his score, expert estimates place it around 155.

To put that figure in perspective, here’s a breakdown of the IQ score spectrum:

With an IQ of 155, Buffett exceeds the minimum threshold for genius-level intelligence. That places him in rare company – only around 2% of people score this high on IQ assessments.

While some dispute IQ tests as imperfect measures of intelligence, scoring in the genius bracket undoubtedly provides advantages, especially in the mental heavy-lifting domain of financial analysis.

But what’s most fascinating is that Buffett doesn’t attribute his success chiefly to a high IQ, stating: “You don‘t need to be a genius. You just need to be emotionally stable, rational and able to ignore distractions.”

So what are the key ingredients in Warren Buffett’s secret sauce of success besides intellect? Let’s analyze the special combination of skills and behavior that empowered this investing icon to rise above the rest.

Buffett‘s "Genius" Goes Beyond Intelligence: The Making of an Investing Legend

Here are some of the lesser known traits, abilities and life experiences that molded Warren Buffet‘s ascent to billionaire financial wizard status:

Extreme Reading Habit – Did you know that despite his 91 years, Warren Buffett still reads around 500 pages per day of financial statements, books, newspapers and magazines? That’s about 5-6 hours dedicated to daily reading. As Buffett says, “I just sit in my office and read all day." This relentless pursuit of knowledge informs decision-making.

Mental Stability – Buffett attributes high-level success more to qualities like rationality, keeping emotions in check, patience and avoiding reactionary choices. His ability to stay calm amidst turbulent markets has been invaluable. As he put it, using self-control to “…ignore the drama…” was key.

Photographic Memory – There are speculation that Buffett may have a photographic memory which would help in recalling market data and company information. While not proven, this mental superpower would certainly facilitate top-notch analysis.

Strong Communication Skills – Despite topics involving complex financial matters, Buffett conveys concepts in simple, witty ways everyone can grasp. His wisdom distilled for the masses holds lessons for great communication.

Beyond these traits, Buffett‘s life story outside investing also reveals underpinnings that bred brilliance. For example, from selling coke and chewing gum door-to-door at just 6 years old to purchasing his first stock at age 11, Warren realized the thrill of profit early on. Even in high school and college when peers focused on social activities, his nearly single-minded obsession was making money.

Charles Munger, Vice Chairman at Berkshire Hathaway, had this to say about Buffett‘s origins:

“He had come out of the right womb. At a very young age, he knew he loved the allocation of capital among opportunities. He’s got the perfect personality for his chosen technique… Lots of people have IQs of 150 and have nothing happen… So it isn’t just IQ. There’s some other thing that causes effectiveness in operations.”

So while Munger recognizes Buffett’s innate intelligence was invaluable, he points to an “X factor” – that hard to define aptitude for prudently steering immense financial transactions to optimal outcomes.

When you further consider…

• His learning the craft at the knee of legendary investor Benjamin Graham;
• The self-confidence gained from launching and running investment partnerships achieving massively successful returns before age 30;
• And his seizing once-in-generation opportunities to acquire undervalued companies…

…it forged the ideal conditions for cultivating his special prowess for capital allocation and value-based stock picking.

Now 91 years old but still going strong at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett’s $100 billion net worth and peerless track record places him on the investment Mount Rushmore alongside Benjamin Graham, Paul Samuelson and John Bogle. But how has the world’s greatest investor handled reception from admirers and critics alike?

Reception of the Oracle: Praise, Criticisms and What We Can Learn

It‘s no surprise that Warren Buffett has earned abundant praise as the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time) within in the arena of value investing and running conglomerates:

• Barron‘s dubbed him the "Greatest Investor Ever"
• Shareholders affectionately call him the “Oracle of Omaha” for his prophetic calls

At Berkshire Hathaway‘s famous annual meetings, tens of thousands flock to soak up Buffett‘s wisdom, knowing his advice has made countless everyday investors rich.

Despite the raving fans, even giants like Buffett attract critics. Over the years, he‘s fielded critiques on matters like:

• Investing $5 billion in Goldman Sachs during the 2008 Financial Crisis bailouts – Seen by some as profiting from banks begging for taxpayer funds
• Allegedly overlooking weak subsidiary managers – Buffett gives autonomy but this allowed bad behaviors in rare cases
• Berkshire Hathaway trading at incredibly high premiums – Sparking warnings shares are overpriced

While considering criticisms can be constructive, vast evidence confirms that following Warren Buffett’s mantras on investing, ethics and wisdom breeds good decisions.

Here are well-tested principles to take from the Sage of Omaha:

• Tune out hype cycles and short-term hysteria – Invest based on fundamentals over long horizons
• Lead with integrity – Let ethics guide management choices
• Balance intensity with peace – Temper ambition with contentment
• Nurture curiosity – Keep expanding knowledge continuously
• Prioritize independent thought – Avoid groupthink; think different
• Cherish relationships – Friends and family matter most

Though we likely can’t match Buffett’s IQ, by integrating such principles with our passions, we set the stage for success on our own terms.

While intellectual firepower has fueled this genius investor, ultimately his balanced wisdom, ethics, teaching ability and independent thinking elevate him to icon status. In the process, he‘s also given back fortunes to charity and elevated other businesses.

We‘d all thrive to exemplify his blend of skills, virtue and qualitative traits in our own unique ways. Warren Buffett shows us that richness has many dimensions beyond just wealth.

I hope you‘ve enjoyed this insider‘s profile of Warren Buffett‘s mammoth IQ along with exploring the multifaceted traits that shaped his unrivaled investing prowess and admirable life philosophy. Let me know which Buffett principles resonated most or if you have any other thoughts!