Mansa Musa: The Wealthiest King from the 14th Century

With $251.3 billion, Elon Musk stands as the world’s richest person. History tells a story of a king who was the richest in terms of wealth. 

Mansa Musa is often regarded as one of the wealthiest kings in history. He was born in 1280 in Mali. Under his reign, his country produced 1000 kg of gold annually. 
 

Mansa Musa’s empire extended across a vast region, encompassing Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Chad, Nigeria, Burkina, Faso, Senegal, and Mauritania. 
 

History tells that Mansa Musa was a benevolent king. He owned vast gold mines, attracting thousands of traders from different regions. 
 

During his reign, Mansa Musa had an army of 200,000 soldiers. At the time, Mali was the largest producer of gold in the world. 

In 1324, Mansa Musa embarked on a journey to Mecca. During a stop in Egypt, he distributed gold lavishly among citizens. 
 

As per reports, his generous distribution of gold in Egypt led to decline in gold prices for 12 years. 
 

Reports sugest that as per 2023 inflation, Mansa Musa’s wealth was approximately 850 billion dollars.