World’s richest man ever existed on Earth was much wealthier than Mukesh Ambani, Adani, Musk, Ratan Tata, Gates combines; his name was…, travelled Mecca with gold worth…

While today’s billionaires are breaking records, none have ever compared to the unimaginable wealth of Mansa Musa, a 14th-century king of the Mali Empire. He is known by most historians as “the richest man of all time.” His wealth would be about $500 billion (Rs 43.7 trillion) when calculated to current value. The only reason his wealth can even be estimated is that it was so vast and widespread that most historians believe there were no means of calculating it accurately. This makes him a financial imperishable legend, one that we won’t come close to in the modern-day world of billionaires.

World’s richest man ever existed on Earth was much wealthier than Mukesh Ambani, Adani, Musk, Ratan Tata, Gates combined!

Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire between the years 1312 and 1337 CE. Under his reign, the Mali Empire attained perhaps its greatest fortune, becoming one of the wealthiest times and places in Africa. His wealth came in large part from the abundant gold and salt mines Mali possessed at this time.

Mali was one of the world’s primary sources of gold at the time. As of that time, Mansa Musa also derived riches through the trade of ivory, slaves, and any other valuable item he could sell; he built his empire to be one of the powers of the Medieval world economy.’ Mansa Musa’s enormous wealth was not the only reason for his legendary status—it was how he expressed that wealth that excited the world.

Mansa Musa and his journey to Mecca

In 1324, he undertook a famous pilgrimage to Mecca that would become a significant historical moment. From the accounts of him in the pamphlets that came to be written, Mansa Musa embarked on his pilgrimage with thousands of people of his royal entourage—people such as servants, soldiers, and in addition, he brought with him dozens of camels. Reports suggest that his caravan was unmatched in size, with 100 camels bearing gold, 12,000 servants, and a group of 60,000 captives marching behind. Historical accounts have placed his carrying approximately 18 tonnes of gold, an unbelievable total of almost $957 million in 2022. This pilgrimage not only revealed Musa’s unbelievable wealth, but it also solidified his position as an individual of international stature.

As he passed through cities like Cairo, he gave away enough gold as a donation to cause inflation in the cities and disrupted the economy for years. Mansa Musa’s fame quickly spread, especially to the courts of kingdoms in Europe and Asia. Kings and emperors all over the world were eager to be in his good graces and wanted to have an opportunity to receive a share of his wealth and massive generosity. Indeed, even after he died in 1337, stories would echo their way across continents of Mansa Musa, as one of the richest men in the world.

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