Imagine scrolling through Hinge and you see this profile: "Theoretical physicist, amateur violinist, and world-renowned genius. My simple pleasures include sailing (badly) and not wearing socks. My greatest fear is my big toe making a hole in my sock." You might be intrigued. Then you read his prompt response: "My most controversial opinion is that monogamy is a bitter fruit." Red flag? 🚩
Welcome to the romantic life of Albert Einstein, a man whose love life was somehow more chaotic than his hair. His personal letters, released decades after his death, reveal a side of the genius that you won't find in a physics textbook. It's messy, it's complicated, and it would have been a complete disaster on a modern dating app.
Einstein's first marriage to fellow physicist Mileva Marić started with passion but ended in a dumpster fire. As their marriage fell apart, Einstein presented her with a brutally cold contract of demands, which included:
She agreed to the terms to keep the family together, but it was no use. He ghosted her emotionally and eventually divorced her in 1919, promising her the money from his future Nobel Prize as a settlement (which he did, in fact, pay).
Before the divorce was even final, Einstein was already deeply involved with his first cousin, Elsa. But in a plot twist worthy of a telenovela, he briefly considered marrying Elsa's 20-year-old daughter, Ilse, instead. Ilse was horrified, writing in a letter, "I don't know what to do. Help me!" He ultimately married Elsa, but the romance didn't stop there.
His letters reveal a string of at least six other women with whom he had affairs during his second marriage. He was surprisingly open about it, writing to Elsa's daughter, "It is not a lack of respect for my wife that I have affairs, but a matter of my own preference." He called monogamy an "unnatural" state and seemed to collect lovers like he collected scientific accolades.
Einstein's letters show a man who craved affection but was terrified of emotional intimacy. He could be charming and passionate one moment, then cold and distant the next. He once wrote, "All the women are in love with me, and I with all of them." It was a classic case of wanting his cake and eating it too, with a side of general relativity.
So while he may have been a genius who redefined our understanding of the universe, his Hinge profile would have been a minefield of red flags. And his most-used emoji? Probably the shrug. 🤷♂️
1.HISTORY - "Einstein’s Love Life Was Even More Complicated Than His Science" A fantastic overview of his relationships, from Mileva to Elsa and beyond, with direct quotes from his letters. https://www.history.com/news/albert-einstein-wives-children-love-letters
2.Live Science - "The Wildly Complicated and Messy Love Life of Albert Einstein" This article dives into the psychological aspects of his relationships and his often contradictory views on love and marriage. https://www.livescience.com/albert-einstein-love-life
3.All That’s Interesting - "The Story Of Elsa Einstein, The Cousin And Second Wife Of Albert Einstein" A detailed look at his second marriage, including the bizarre love triangle with her daughter, Ilse. https://allthatsinteresting.com/elsa-einstein
