The Richest Man Who Ever Lived



Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is the richest man in the world, with an estimated fortune of $131 billion, but he’s by no means the richest man of all time. That title belongs to Mansa Musa, the 14th century West African ruler who was so rich that his generous handouts wrecked an entire country’s economy. His wealth was so enormous that it’s almost impossible to get a sense of just how wealthy and powerful he was. “The Golden King” was born in 1280 into a family of rulers, inheriting the kingdom of Mali. The kingdom stretched for about 2,000 miles, from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to modern-day Niger. With such a large land mass came great resources such as gold and salt, and during the reign of Mansa Musa, the empire of Mali accounted for almost half of the world’s gold, and it all belonged to the king. In today’s money, Mansa Musa’s fortune was a whopping $400 billion, making him the richest man who ever lived. (pictured: Mansa Musa Timbuktu Palace)