Richest person ever: Mansa Musa, Timbuktu, Mali, and the next richest in history
You surely heard of Mansa Musa, the richest person ever.
The 14th century emperor from West Africa was worth a staggering $400 billion, after adjusting for inflation, as calculated by Celebrity Net Worth.
To put that number into perspective — if that’s even possible — Net Worth’s calculations mean Musa’s fortune far outstrips that of the current world’s richest man Carlos Slim Helu and the other rich people combined.
According to Forbes, the Mexican telecom giant’s net worth is $69 billion.
Slim edges out the world’s second wealthiest man, Bill Gates, who is worth $61 billion, according to Forbes.
Mansa Musa Of Mali Named World’s Richest Man Of All Time;
Gates And Buffet Also Make List
The Huffington Post Posted: 10/17/2012 EDT Updated: 10/21/2014 2:59 pm EDT
Some of the oldest fortunes in question date back 1,000 years.
No. 7 on the list, for example, is William the Conqueror.
The illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, William lived between 1028-1087 and gained infamy for invading and seizing England in 1066.
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, when Musa died sometime in the 1330s, he left behind an empire filled with palaces and mosques, some of which still stand today.
But the emperor really turned historic heads for the over-the-top extravagances of his 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca. (Mecca royal family must have reaped wealth due to these pilgrimage?)
The trip, which he embarked up on during the 17th year of the monarch’s glittering reign, was hosted by the leaders of both Mecca and Cairo and apparently was so brilliant, it “almost put Africa’s sun to shame.”
Musa’s wealth was a result of his country’s vast natural resources. The West African nation was responsible for more than half of the world’s salt and gold supply, according to Net Worth.
Of course, the entry also notes that the fortune was also fleeting. Just two generations later, his net worth was gone — wasted away by invaders and infighting.
As The Independent points out, while the numbers bandied about by this newest list are shocking, many aspects of the run-down aren’t surprising: there are no women included, for example, and only three of the richest men are still alive today.
Americans dominate the list, however, taking 14 of the 26 spots, including slots two and three. (In just 2 centuries?)
The “poorest” man on the list is Warren Buffet, who had a peak net worth of $64 billion. Buffet, a noted philanthropist, has since given billions of his fortune away, and Forbes now lists his net worth at closer to $44 billion.
Try to add up the net worth of the Rothschild family below and this family has amassed worth trillion from wars in Europe, USA and the rest of the world. They also own the Federal reserve bank.
Meet Mansa Musa, one of the wealthiest people in history:
Jessica Smith tells the story of how Mansa Musa literally put his empire – and himself – on the map.
Click through below for the 26 Richest Men Ever:
1. Mansa Musa I – Ruler Of Malian Empire (1280-1331)
Estimated worth: $400 billion
And the rest:
21. Jay Gould (railroad tycoon, 1836-1892) $71 billion
22. Carlos Slim (business magnate, 1940- ) $68 billion
23. Stephen Van Rensselaer (land owner, 1764- 1839) $68 billion
24. Marshall Field (Marshall Field & Company founder, 1834-1906) $66 billion
25. Sam Walton (Walmart founder, 1918-1992) $65 billion
26. Warren Buffett (investor, 1930- ) $64 billion
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