These are the world’s 9 youngest prodigies

Naturally curious and intelligent, children are constantly learning, growing, and evolving. All they need are the right opportunities to reach their full potential — just like some of the youngest prodigies in the world.

Among Forbes’s 30 Under 30 is Gitanjali Rao, a child prodigy whose inventive mind has created innovations that make a difference, like Tethys, a device designed to detect lead contamination in water.

And then there’s Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old chess prodigy and the youngest person ever to represent England internationally in any sport.

But talents need to be given a chance to grow. If a child does not develop their skills during their formative years, it may be difficult to fully realise their potential in the future.

Learning has no age limit, but starting early helps

There is no age restriction to learning; at 83, Marie Fowler received her doctoral degree in divinity, becoming Howard University’s oldest-ever graduate.

But they do say old dogs can’t learn new tricks and studies do suggest that younger children learn better and faster. 

Debbie Ravenscroft, senior lecturer in early childhood studies at the University of Chester, shared in an interview that “During childhood, children gradually develop to bridge the gap between their capabilities and the more advanced abilities of adults. Their rapid growth is primarily driven by neuroplasticity, their interactions with adults, environmental factors, and natural curiosity.”

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to adapt and rewire itself through experiences. It allows children to learn and unlearn habits, routines, and behaviours.

This process is most active before the age of five when almost everything they experience is new.

Some of the youngest prodigies in the world burn out too fast, too soon

Life is never smooth sailing, even if you’re one of the youngest prodigies in the world. Gifted children experience asynchronous development, where while their intellectual abilities are far beyond their age, their social and motor skills lag behind.

This disconnect can leave them feeling out of place and frustrated and without proper understanding and support.

Remember child stars Michael Jackson and Macaulay Culkin who later battled drug dependence?

They’re just like many child prodigies, who suffer from anxiety, depression, and social difficulties. Aaron Swartz, who co-created RSS (a group of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works in a standardised format) at 14, is a poignant example.

Despite his early success, Swartz faced huge pressure, especially when his activism led to legal trouble for hacking into JSTOR, a digital library of academic journals, books, and primary sources.

The weight of a potential 35-year sentence and a US$1 million fine, coupled with his ongoing battle with depression, became overwhelming. He tragically took his own life at just 26 years old.

9 youngest prodigies in the world

While the rest of us struggle to complete one degree by our early 20s, the youngest prodigies do it at half our age. But school alone is just one measure of intelligence — below we take a look at the youngest talents of all kinds, from music and sports to beyond.

Tanishq Matthew Abraham

Completed high school by 10 years old, three associate degrees by 11 years old

Now 21 years old, Abraham is one of the most youngest prodigies in the world.

Starting young, he completed high school at 10 and earned three college Associate Degrees by 11 – all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. His interest in medical sciences and engineering then led him to a biomedical engineering programme at 13.

Abraham also found time to actively contribute to the scientific community, presenting research at various conferences.

At 14, he authored a review paper on smart bio-inspired vesicles, which was later published in IOP Physical Biology.  

Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte

Earned a PhD at 13 years old

Born in July 1800, German jurist Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte is the youngest prodigy in the world to be awarded a PhD.

At 13 years old, on April 13, 1814, he earned his PhD in philosophy from the University of Giessen in Germany. 

And as if that wasn’t impressive enough, he went on to complete another doctorate, this time in law, before his 17th birthday.

By 23, he was already teaching law at the University of Berlin and later became known for his writings on Dante Alighieri. 

Brigitte Xie

Played Beethoven and invited to perform at Carnegie Hall at four years old, 

Born in 2017, Brigitte Xie was only four years old when she was playing Beethoven.

When her father, Tao Xie, signed her up for piano lessons during the COVID-19 lockdown, he had no idea what would come next. “I didn’t expect her to be a prodigy,” he reflects, “but yeah, it turns out it’s amazing.”

Xie’s hard work and natural gift paid off when she became the youngest-ever winner of the Elite International Music Competition. This win earned her a spot to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York, one of the most iconic venues in the world.

Well, almost. COVID-19 delayed her debut until November 2022. And her response to this setback? “Can we go to the Disney store, Mom?”

Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani

Won 42 first-place awards for playing piano by seven years old

Another one of the youngest prodigies in the world in the music industry is Italian pianist Alberto Cartuccia Cingolani.

Born in 2017, he only started learning the piano in 2020, but you wouldn’t know it from his performance of Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major.

Unlike his same-aged friend Xie, Cingolani grew up in a musically inclined family. His mother is a voice teacher, and his father is a music instructor.

At three years old, his parents introduced him to piano lessons, where it became clear he had a special gift.

Now, with 42 first-place awards to his name, Alberto continues to light up stages worldwide.

Kautilya Katariya

Qualified to become a computer programmer at six years old

In 2020, Kautilya Katariya made headlines by becoming the world’s youngest qualified computer programmer at just six years old. 

His journey started when his dad handed him a programming book. “I liked it so much, I finished it in a day.” After that, there was no stopping him. 

In just six to seven months, Katariya mastered Python and earned five certifications in AI and Python from IBM. 

However, Kautilya didn’t stop at programming. At 10, he tackled A Level maths, earning an A*, all while navigating lockdowns and online learning.

Dr. Balamurali Ambati

Became a medical doctor at 17 years old

Most of us spend our teenage years worrying about exams and hanging out with friends, but Dr. Balamurali Ambati?

In 1995, at 17 years old, he set the Guinness World Record as the world’s youngest doctor, a record he still holds in 2024.

Dr. Ambati is a respected ophthalmologist and the Director of Ophthalmology & Visual Science at the University of Oregon’s Knight Campus.

With over 15 years of experience as a cataract and cornea surgeon, he has developed several ophthalmic devices and was named the world’s top ophthalmologist under 40 by The Ophthalmologist Magazine.

Michael Kearney

Earn a bachelor’s degree in anthropology at 10 years old

Michael Kearney holds the Guinness World Record as one of the youngest prodigies in the world to complete a college degree.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Michael was homeschooled by his mother and diagnosed with ADHD at a young age. But he didn’t let that define him.

In 1994, at 10 years and four months, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of South Alabama.

He then continued his academic pursuits, obtaining a master’s in chemistry and computer science from Middle Tennessee State University and Vanderbilt University respectively.

Today, he is a teaching assistant in chemistry at Middle Tennessee State University.

 

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Soborno Isaac Bari

Got the perfect SAT score at 11 years old

At just 12 years old, Soborno Isaac Bari is already making waves in the academic world. In 2024, he graduated from Malverne High School on Long Island, becoming the youngest American of South Asian descent to do so.

What’s next for this young genius? A full scholarship to New York University, where he’s set to pursue a degree in Mathematics and Physics.

Bari has an impressive résumé for someone his age. At just four, President Obama sent Bari a letter to recognise his talents in math and science, and when he was seven, he was giving lectures on physics at Mumbai University.

Fast forward to age 11, and he’s still breaking records: he scored a perfect 1500 on the SAT. 

 

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Bella Devyatkina

Can speak eight languages at four years old

When Bella Devyatkina was just four, she had already won hearts across the Internet with her extraordinary gift. This bubbly, talented girl from Moscow speaks eight languages: Russian, English, French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Arabic, and Italian.

And she’s not stopping there, Bella is now learning her ninth language: Greek.

But how did she get to this point? According to her mum, the key is to start early. She introduced Devyatkina to English when she was just two, and it took off from there.