MrBeast's Beast Games Season 2 has selected New Jersey resident Apollo Poetry from over 400,000 applicants to compete as one of the "100 Smartest People on the Planet" in the record-breaking Amazon Prime Video series. The competition, which premiered on January 7, 2026, features a $5 million grand prize—the largest in television history. Apollo was cast specifically for his elite cognitive profile: testing in the top 1% for Memory Index, top 1% for Processing Speed, top 2% for Spatial Ability, and the top 6% for IQ.
This selection matters because it highlights how high-stakes entertainment is increasingly valuing measurable intellectual prowess alongside traditional competition formats. The implications extend beyond entertainment, potentially influencing how cognitive abilities are perceived and valued in mainstream media. For viewers, it represents a shift toward competitions that reward intellectual diversity rather than purely physical or strategic skills.
Apollo's background bridges high-level logic and emotional intelligence. A holder of two Master's degrees including an MBA, he has presented an EQ workshop for MENSA and delivered three TEDx talks. He has also facilitated social and emotional learning workshops in high schools nationwide for over 100,000 people, an effort featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. This combination of cognitive and emotional intelligence demonstrates the multifaceted nature of intelligence that modern competitions may increasingly seek.
Beyond the competition, Apollo's achievements include global recognition as a Guinness World Record breaker, Amazon Best-selling author, and member of the All 50-State Club after visiting every U.S. state. His media experience spans appearances on MTV, ABC, PBS, FOX, and NPR. In July 2026, one of his poems is scheduled to be flown to and permanently placed on the moon's surface. He stated his motivation for this lunar project: "I applied for this opportunity so that long after I'm gone, my daughter can look up to the moon and know that I am always right there with her."
The competition's impact on the entertainment industry is significant, as detailed in the Beast Games Official Trailer on Amazon Prime Video. With the series trending globally, Apollo represents not just individual achievement but also New Jersey's community in this high-profile international competition. The $5 million prize sets a new benchmark for television competitions, potentially influencing future production budgets and contestant recruitment strategies across the industry.
For audiences, this competition offers insight into how cognitive abilities translate into competitive success, while for the broader world, it reflects growing interest in quantifying and showcasing intellectual diversity. As Beast Games continues to gain viewership, its emphasis on intelligence metrics may inspire similar formats that prioritize different dimensions of human capability beyond traditional entertainment paradigms.
