The tech world is showcased in Silicon Valley. Fans love the show, and some call it one of HBO’s best series of the 2010s. It presents the story of a group of coders as they attempt to build a technology company from the ground up. As such, many of the main characters in the series are bright.
Intelligence is implicit in the roles of coders and other important figures in the tech world. Characters who perform engineering in Silicon Valley like Bertram Gilfoyle and Dinesh Chugtai boast of their programming prowess and brilliant wits. However, some characters in the series are less intelligent than others.
Nelson “Big Head” Bighetti
Big Head is presented as one of the least intelligent main characters early on in Silicon Valley. He isn’t bright enough to help Richard with Pied Piper despite his best intentions. His lack of intelligence is presented in others ways as well.
After he earns a fortune, Big Head is too foolish to hang on to it for very long. Despite hiring a financial manager, Big Head allows Erlich Bachman to squander his money on foolish purchases, like a $500,000 blog and a party on Alcatraz Island. Big Head lacks foresight and critical thinking.
Russ Hanneman
Russ Hanneman is an outrageous and boisterous character. He is a billionaire investor and takes any opportunity he gets to boast to others about his wealth.
However, unlike other wealthy characters like Peter Gregory, it is implied that Russ earned his fortune on a lucky investment, and lacks the intelligence to seek out and finance smart projects. Russ makes for plenty of laughs in the series but rarely showcases his brains.
Gavin Belson
Gavin Belson is a villain and one of the least likable characters in Silicon Valley. Upon first consideration, Belson seems smart as he is a successful tech magnate. However, he shows his dull wits in several examples.
Gavin shows his buffoonery in foolish purchases, like when he buys a live elephant to prove an obsessive point to his associates. Furthermore, his short temper is presented in many outbursts, highlighting his lack of emotional intelligence.
Erlich Bachman
Erlich is one of the founding members of Pied Piper but does little to help in its development other than let the team use his house as an office. Erlich is lazy but shows certain examples of critical thinking. He presents his emotional intelligence when he helps Richard with his social difficulties.
However, his lack of wits is presented in his foolish handling of finances. When he partners with Big Head, he squanders his massive fortune on gratuitous parties and unnecessary purchases. He lacks the foresight to plan for his future, and his dim wits are underscored as a result.
Dinesh Chugtai
Dinesh is a consistent member of the Pied Piper team and shows off his intelligence in his work for the company. Unlike Big Head, he is a valuable member of the company, and Richard needs his smarts to help develop his algorithm.
Dinesh shows his smarts when he develops Piper Chat by himself. However, he shows he is perhaps more shortsighted than his peers when it’s revealed he neglected to develop parental controls for the application.
Donald “Jared” Dunn
Jared is one of the funniest characters in Silicon Valley, but not because he lacks wits. His resume presents his intelligence, as a former Vice President of Hooli, which the show displays as one of the most successful companies in its universe. Jared has a similarly important job as COO for Pied Piper.
Jared continually improves operations for the company. As such, his smarts are often on display. However, he has a few foolish moments which highlight some mental weaknesses. Furthermore, his overly familiar relationship with Richard Hendricks underscores his lack of emotional intelligence.
Bertram Gilfoyle
Gilfoyle is one of the most arrogant team members working for Pied Piper. He presents himself as perhaps the smartest member of the team and does so in some of Gilfoyle’s best quotes in Silicon Valley. He is a skilled engineer, and Richard needs him to help Pied Piper flourish.
Gilfoyle shows major foresight and often helps get the crew out of jams thanks to his forward thinking. He doesn’t trust people until he’s sure he can, shown in his relationship with Monica Hall. When he wants to leave the company, Richard pleads with him to stay as a result of his valuable brain.
Richard Hendricks
Richard is the protagonist and drives some of Silicon Valley‘s highest-rated episodes. The premise of the show stems from Richard’s high intelligence. The algorithm he creates is presented as groundbreaking, and the Pied Piper team comes together due to their belief in Richard’s brilliant coding.
Richard is not without his foolish moments, mostly as a result of his socially awkward behavior. Where he excels in traditional critical thinking, he fails in moments that underscore his lack of emotional intelligence.
Peter Gregory
Peter Gregory appears in the first season of Silicon Valley but is referenced multiple times in later seasons. He acts as Gavin’s rival and is a similarly wealthy CEO as a result of his brilliant ideas. His short time in the series showcases his high intelligence.
Peter’s smarts are perhaps showcased most by his idea stemming from an interest in Burger King products. He predicts the price of sesame seeds will increase after considering a change of environment in the region of the world where they are most harvested. The result is a multi-million dollar idea only Peter sees, highlighting his position as one of the show’s smartest characters.
About The Author
