Eight graduation, IQ 145: Lawrence Simons is compared to Stephen Hawking

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I When the bbad roared loudly through the old Prinsengracht house in Amsterdam, Lawrence learns. "He prefers to learn without a helmet," says his mother Lydia Simons, rolling her eyes in a false horror. Laurent sits next to her at the big round table and smiles maliciously. Right now, he does not have to learn. He has just finished high school and has become almost world famous. Laurent is only eight years old

Very talented, genius, prodigy. Already, the Belgian-Dutch boy with an IQ of 145 is compared by the media with Einstein and Stephen Hawking. But it does not give the impression that it would intimidate him. Laurent is a friendly and reserved child. "I want to know things."

It's always been like that, Mother Lydia recalls. "Why, why, why, he always asked." Now, it is more likely to be the opposite, she admits. Then she asks the eight-year-old. "He can explain himself and have patience," confirms Father Alexander. "If he likes someone" Laurent smiles

Very gifted applies, which has an IQ of over 130. Only about two percent of the German population fall, as informed the Wiesbaden Foundation "Little Foxes" . An IQ of 140 is spoken of maximum giftedness. "An IQ of 145 or more can only reach 0.1% – only one in 1,000 people," says Isabel Vöhringer, chief psychologist at the foundation.

What does Laurent mean? He does not know it yet. What he wants to study, however, already: mathematics. It was also his favorite subject at the Gymnasium in Brugge, Belgium, where he spent high school in a few months. Typically, students are 18 when they graduate from Flemish high school, as one school employee says.

He finds the Cold War particularly exciting

Lawrence also found the geography and history funky. "The most interesting thing I found was the cold war." His father is Belgian, his Dutch mother. As both were fully engaged in their dental practice, little Laurent grew up with his grandparents in Ostend, Belgium, for six years.

Before moving to Bruges, Laurent entered a private high school in Amsterdam in January 2017. It went wrong the first week, remembers his mother. "The professor just asked a question that Laurent gave the answer," said Lydia Simons. "Of course, the other kids did not like that either." Eventually, a bespoke instruction kit was developed for him. And most importantly, he received individual lessons

Lawrence, his father said, flourished. "If it's really required, then it's fast, too fast for us."

"I am really proud"

The boy graduated from elementary and high school in record time. In Amsterdam, he did an internship with a cardiologist. During the summer holidays, he took special courses for the very talented. And now he has graduated from high school.

But when Laurent was holding the ordinary diploma in A4 format, he reacted like many high school graduates. "I've worked so hard for it now." Laurent laughs when he thinks back to the moment. "But I'm really proud."

After the summer, he wants to start studying. The family is now traveling across Europe in search of a suitable university. No, the eight-year-old boy is not going to sit in the conference room with 20-year-olds. He probably could not look over the edge of the table. He will receive private lessons from teachers. "With a probability of 50% in Belgium or the Netherlands," explains Laurent. Preferably close to grandma and grandpa and his friends.

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But there is the summer holidays, Even a small genius can take advantage of the # 39; idleness. "We are going to Marbella," he says and he is happy: "I can go jet skiing and swim there." And he drives with his parents to Europa-Park in Baden-Württemberg.

But now he still has to give some interviews. "It's good, but sometimes stupid," he says very diplomatically. Because the questions could be really boring. However, parents hope that Laurent will be left alone after the whirlwind and that he will be able to do what he wants most: thinking and learning.