Mansa Musa, known as the richest man who ever lived, had incredible wealth greater than Elon Musk’s $160 billion
Elon Musk’s status as the current richest man
Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, Neuralink, and Twitter. Despite his vast fortune, he doesn’t rank among the top five wealthiest individuals of all time.
Elon Musk, with an estimated wealth of $242 billion, holds the title of the world’s richest living person. This status, however, pales in comparison to historical figures.
Mansa Musa’s incredible wealth surpassed elon musk’s by $160 billion.
Mansa Musa: The richest man in history
According to Money.com, Mansa Musa, the Malian ruler, is considered the richest person in history when adjusted for inflation.
Musa reigned from 1312 until his death in 1337 and is described as “richer than anyone could describe.” His wealth is estimated to be around $400 billion (£307 billion), making Musk $158 billion short of matching him.
Musa’s immense wealth came from Mali’s gold production and trade.
By the end of the 14th century, Mali was responsible for over two-thirds of the gold in Europe. Musa was so wealthy that he often shared his riches with the poor he encountered on his travels.
The impact of Musa’s Pilgrimage to Mecca
In 1325, Musa embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He stopped in Cairo for a month, accompanied by 60,000 men and 12,000 slaves. Each individual carried about four pounds of gold bars, bringing a staggering total of 288,000 pounds of gold into Cairo’s economy.
This amount would be worth approximately $6.4 billion today. However, when wealth is widespread, its value diminishes. Musa’s generosity inadvertently devalued gold, leading him to trade some of it back.
Other weatthy figures in history
Mansa Musa isn’t alone on the list of history’s wealthiest individuals.
Augustus Caesar tops the list with an estimated $4.6 trillion (£3.5 trillion). Other notable figures include John D. Rockefeller with $341 billion (£239 billion) and William the Conqueror with $229 billion (£176 billion).
As of October 17, Elon Musk’s estimated wealth stands at $242 billion.
This ranking places him around seventh on the list of the richest humans who ever lived. While not the top spot, Musk’s wealth remains impressive.
In summary, while Elon Musk enjoys remarkable wealth today, he falls short of historical titans like Mansa Musa.
The incredible riches of figures from the past continue to shape our understanding of wealth and its significance throughout history. Mansa Musa’s legacy as the richest man who ever lived remains unmatched.