Mansa Musa; Image Source: SCMP.com; Imaging Name: Unknown
Was Mana Musa, the richest man in history?
According to Medina Thiam, a doctoral stude at the University of California in Los Angeles and a specialist in the financial history and coastal region of Africa, this question cannot be answered with certaiy. Historical sources say that in the year 9, Manasa Musa, the ruler of the Financial Empire in the medieval era, which encompasses large parts of West Africa (and should not be confused with today’s financial state), made a pilgrimage to the two sacred cities of the Islamic world, Mecca and Medina.
On this long journey, he crossed the great Sahara of Africa and moved from the Niger River to the Nile and the Red Sea. His convoy consisted of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of slaves carrying large quaities of salt, gold and other wealth. Mansa Musa on his way, when he reached Cairo, brought a significa amou of gold io the local economy; To the exte that the metal was reduced throughout Egypt. This made him become the richest person of all time.
The magnifice and spectacular pilgrimage to the world showed that there is a powerful governme in West Africa that the ambitious rule ruled. After the trip, the cities of Timbuktu and Jenne became importa business ceers. Also, these cities became a ceer for scieists and scholars from all over the Islamic world.
Mansa Musa’s wealth was undoubtedly enormous on a historical and even modern scale. However, the numbers that are raised and estimated to be hundreds of billions of dollars in today’s are no more than a speculation. In addition, such astronomical estimates ignore the fact that researchers still do not know much about the economy, politics, and organization of the empire.
John Di Rockefeller (4-5)
John D De Rockefeller was the founder and main shareholder of Standard Oil, which produced between 5 % and 5 % of US oil at its peak.
After the success of the first refinery in Ohio, he eveually became the first US billionaire with clever investme. Rockefeller donated at least $ 5 million to charity throughout his life.
