Meet Laurent Simons, the ‘Little Einstein’ who has completed his PhD in quantum physics at 15

Laurent Simons, the 15-year-old often described as “Belgium’s little Einstein,” has hit another extraordinary milestone, completing a PhD in quantum physics at the University of Antwerp.

According to Flemish broadcaster VTM, Laurent successfully defended his doctoral thesis last week, a moment that could go down as one of the fastest PhD completions ever recorded in this field.

“It’s official: Dr Simons! Just completed my PhD!!! Only way is up,” wrote Simons in an Instagram post as congratulations poured from all over the world.

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“After this, I’ll start working towards my goal: creating ‘super-humans’,” the teen told the outlet.

So, who exactly is this young prodigy? What does his journey look like? Here’s a closer look.

Laurent’s academic story has always been far from ordinary.

-He finished high school at just eight years old, long before most children even think about board exams. By 12, he had completed a bachelor’s degree in physics, finishing the three-year programme in just 18 months, which quickly made him an international sensation.

-His parents, Alexander and Lydia Simons, revealed around that time that major tech companies in the US and China had approached Laurent with offers to join their research centres. They declined, wanting him to grow at a pace.

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“There are two Laurents,” his father told the media in 2022. “The scientist and the boy.”

-After his bachelor’s, Laurent went on to complete a master’s degree in quantum physics, diving into topics such as bosons, black holes, and Bose–Einstein condensates at extremely low temperatures.

-He also interned at Germany’s Max Planck Institute, where he worked on quantum optics and helped develop AI-based methods for early cancer detection.

“We trained a machinery algorithm so it can distinguish between cancer patients and healthy individuals,” he explained.

-Reports over the years have highlighted Laurent’s exceptional abilities, from having a photographic memory to an IQ reportedly around 145, a range achieved by only about 0.1 per cent of the population. His parents have said they noticed early on that he grasped information at a much faster pace than other children.

-Laurent has also spoken about the personal experiences that shaped his goals. At 11, after the death of his grandparents, he said he wanted to work on extending human life.

-His goal, he has explained, isn’t about immortality for himself but about giving people the chance to live longer, healthier lives. He has expressed a desire to eventually study medical science for this reason.

-Right after completing his PhD defence in Antwerp, Laurent reportedly travelled to Munich to begin a second doctoral programme, this time in medical science with a focus on artificial intelligence. “It’s actually separate from physics,” his father told VTM.

-Even with offers coming in from billionaires and international companies, Laurent appears grounded and focused on the science itself. “The money can maybe be used to build a lab,” he joked when asked about financial opportunities. “I’m still a minor. My parents need to make these decisions.”

-And while his achievement is extraordinary, Laurent is still not the youngest PhD holder ever. That record belongs to Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte, who earned his doctorate from the University of Giessen in 1814 at just 13 years and 283 days, according to Guinness World Records.

With input from agencies