Mansa Musa, an African ruler from the 14th century, is regarded as the richest person in history, with a fortune that even eclipses that of the wealthiest persons alive now. Mansa Musa, who ascended to the throne of the mali Empire in West Africa in 1312, was born around 1280 AD. His estimated wealth, after accounting for inflation, is approximately USD 400 billion, far exceeding the fortunes of contemporary billionaires like jeff bezos (USD 194.6 billion), mukesh ambani (USD 117.8 billion), gautam adani (USD 83.6 billion), and Ratan Tata.
The abundant natural riches inside Mansa Musa's realm were the source of his enormous fortune. There was a constant supply of gold from the gold mines in places like Bambuk, Wangara, Bure, Galam, and Taghaza; the northern regions supplied salt. With Timbuktu as its capital, his kingdom comprised modern-day nations including the Ivory Coast, Senegal, mali, and Burkina Faso.
Mansa Musa was renowned for his insight and charity. His gifts of Malian gold were so magnificent that storytellers were careful not to depict his generosity in such a lavish manner for fear that it would come out as wasteful. He is exceptionally generous, as Lucy Duran of the school of African and Oriental Studies in london points out.
Mansa Musa's legendary visit to Mecca in 1324 solidified his historical standing. According to the BBC, his caravan—which was supposedly the biggest to ever traverse the Sahara desert—consisted of 60,000 slaves, 12,000 servants, and 100 camels that were hauling enormous quantities of gold. On this journey, he is thought to have taken over 18 tons of gold, which would have been valued at approximately USD 957 million in 2022.
The abundant natural riches inside Mansa Musa's realm were the source of his enormous fortune. There was a constant supply of gold from the gold mines in places like Bambuk, Wangara, Bure, Galam, and Taghaza; the northern regions supplied salt. With Timbuktu as its capital, his kingdom comprised modern-day nations including the Ivory Coast, Senegal, mali, and Burkina Faso.
Mansa Musa was renowned for his insight and charity. His gifts of Malian gold were so magnificent that storytellers were careful not to depict his generosity in such a lavish manner for fear that it would come out as wasteful. He is exceptionally generous, as Lucy Duran of the school of African and Oriental Studies in london points out.
Mansa Musa's legendary visit to Mecca in 1324 solidified his historical standing. According to the BBC, his caravan—which was supposedly the biggest to ever traverse the Sahara desert—consisted of 60,000 slaves, 12,000 servants, and 100 camels that were hauling enormous quantities of gold. On this journey, he is thought to have taken over 18 tons of gold, which would have been valued at approximately USD 957 million in 2022.
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