Skip to content 
“That man’s father is my father’s son.”
Since the speaker has no siblings, “my father’s son” refers to himself.
Therefore, the person in the photograph is his son.
The Answer
The person in the photograph is the man’s son.
The wording makes the riddle seem much more complicated than it actually is. The trick is to carefully identify who each phrase refers to instead of assuming that “my father’s son” must mean someone else.
Why This Riddle Is So Tricky
The challenge isn’t really about complicated mathematics or difficult vocabulary.
It’s about perspective.
When we hear “my father’s son,” many people immediately imagine a brother. But the speaker has already told us that he has no brothers or sisters.
That single detail changes everything.
Once you recognize that the speaker is his father’s only son, the rest of the riddle becomes much easier.
Did You Get It Right?
If you solved it without looking at the answer, you caught the important clue.
If you didn’t, don’t worry. The riddle is deliberately written to make your brain search for a more complicated explanation.
Sometimes the easiest answer is hidden behind the simplest sentence.