The richest man in history is not:
• Elon Musk
• Jeff Bezos
• Bill Gates
• Jack Ma
Even when adjusted for inflation, Mansa Musa was billions richer than all four COMBINED.
Here's the forgotten story of the richest person in human history (that you should know):
Mansa Musa's wealth was so vast that historians and economists still debate its true scale.
When adjusted to modern values, his fortune dwarfs today's billionaires.
He controlled resources worth more than entire countries.
But who exactly was this man?
Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire in the 14th century.
His domain stretched across West Africa, controlling vast territories.
Mali became one of the largest empires in Africa under his rule.
There was ONE foundation for his unprecedented wealth:
Gold. Lots and lots of gold.
Mali had half of the world's richest gold deposits at the time.
Mansa Musa controlled these gold mines, giving him a monopoly on one of history's most coveted resources.
But it wasn't only gold that led to his immense wealth:
The Mali Empire sat at the crossroads of trans-Saharan trade routes.
These ancient highways connected North and sub-Saharan Africa.
Mansa Musa taxed all trade passing through his lands.
This strategic position multiplied his already vast fortune:
He understood diversification before modern investors.
Besides gold, Mansa Musa controlled the salt trade.
Salt was highly valuable in Africa then.
This created an economic system that generated immense wealth.
But it wasn't gold or even salt that made him famous:
It was his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324-1325 which shocked the world.
Mansa Musa travelled with thousands of people.
He brought so much gold that he crashed the economies of the regions he passed through.
His journey became legendary:
Accounts describe an enormous entourage of thousands.
His caravan included countless camels carrying gold bars.
Mansa Musa gave gold to the poor in every city he visited.
His generosity had unexpected consequences:
He gave away so much gold in Cairo that he caused massive inflation.
Gold's value plummeted, and the economy took years to recover.
This remains a remarkable example of wealth disrupting an entire economy.
The effects were incredibly far-reaching:
Mansa Musa's pilgrimage put Mali on the map - literally.
In 1375, Mali appeared on the Catalan Atlas, one of Europe's important medieval maps.
Mansa Musa was depicted holding a gold nugget.
But wealth wasn't his only legacy:
He was a patron of education and architecture.
After his pilgrimage, Mansa Musa built mosques and universities.
He established Timbuktu as a centre of learning.
The manuscripts and buildings still survive today as a testament to one thing:
His vision.
Despite his wealth, Mansa Musa followed Islamic principles.
He fulfilled zakat through massive charitable giving.
He invested in education and infrastructure that benefited his people.
His approach offers lessons for modern wealth:
1. Invest in education (libraries)
2. Diversify your assets (gold and salt)
3. Practice generous charity (as he did)
4. Build infrastructure that outlasts you
These principles remain relevant for building wealth today.
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Media Credits: Thoughty2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v32Op5Uwdc&t=126s&ab_channel=Thoughty2
