Chino Hills boy with Einstein-level IQ accepted into Mensa, nation’s largest high-IQ society

CHINO HILLS, Calif. (KABC) — While most of us are still playing checkers, 8-year-old Landon Castillo is several moves ahead having mastered chess.

“At three, I taught him to play chess and he beat both of us at chess at three-years-old and he was also doing double digit math at the time,” said Landon’s dad.

From an early age, Andrew and Jennifer Castillo noticed their son was a quick learner and had a gift for solving puzzles most children his age would find too difficult to do.

This past September, the second grader was given an intellectual test and the results were jaw-dropping.

I was curious and said, ‘Oh, by the way, what were his test scores?'” Jennifer Castillo recalled. “And it was in the 99th percentile. We were just in shock and awe.”

Landon’s IQ was measured at 159, placing him in the same range as famed physicist Albert Einstein, whose score is estimated around 160.

In May, Landon was accepted into American Mensa, the nation’s largest and oldest high-IQ society.

There may be fun enrichment activities that kids can get to do together with other kids who are like them,” said Molly Bundschuh, youth coordinator for American Mensa. “As kids get a little bit older we have some national programs that can sort of help boost their academic resume.”

In addition to Mensa, Landon also qualified for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, a prestigious program whose alumni include Nobel Prize-winning physicist Adam Riess and entertainer Lady Gaga.

“It’s for people who are smart,” said Landon. “It’s challenging and you’ve got to plan things.”

Despite his intellect, Landon is still a kid at heart. He enjoys searching for buried treasure, riding trains, and panning for gold in his backyard; a space his parents created to nurture his curiosity.

His dream? To become an astronaut.

“It’s a big responsibility,” said his father. “How do we make sure we give him everything he needs?”

For now, the Castillo family is focused on supporting Landon’s love of learning and keeping up with a boy whose mind may one day take him all the way to the stars.