Meet Mansa Musa, the African emperor & world’s richest man ever; know about his $ 400 billion net worth, expensive things & more (2024)

FAQs

How much is Mansa Musa worth 400 billion? ›

Mansa Musa, who was born in 1280 AD, ruled the large Mali kingdom in West Africa for a while. In 1312 AD, Mansa Musa was crowned king, and it is estimated that his fortune was almost $400 billion USD, adjusted for inflation which is still double than that of Musk and Bezos.

Historians say he was the richest person to have ever lived. Today, his wealth would be worth about US $400 billion.

Mansa Musa inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. His riches came from mining significant salt and gold deposits in the Mali kingdom. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth.

However, many believe Mansa Musa's wealth outdoes that of all modern billionaires. Mansa Musa ruled over the Mali empire in the 14th Century, and his incredible access to gold made him arguably the richest human to have ever lived. So, why is it that he has largely disappeared from the western historical imagination?

Think about the wealth Elon Musk owns now, then add a couple hundred billion, and you will get close to Mansa Musa's fortune in the 14th century. Economists estimate that the West African emperor possessed riches equal to almost 400 billion US dollars.

As of today, no billionaire is within striking distance of becoming a trillionaire. Elon Musk is, at present, the world's richest person, with a net worth of $206 billion, while Jeff Bezos is in the number two position with $179 billion, according to Bloomberg.

Not Jeff Bezos, or Bill Gates: Mali's Mansa Musa was the richest man ever. Ask anyone who the world's all-time richest person is and you'll probably hear Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Gates or Warren Buffett - but that is of course, wrong.

"Of the 21 individuals who stand a chance of reaching this phenomenal milestone in their lifetime, Elon Musk is predicted to be the first," said CEO Magazine.

John D. Rockefeller is often cited as the world's first billionaire, achieving that status in 1916 largely through his ownership of Standard Oil.

It has been said that of all of Mansa Musa's wives (there were four), one was. nót only the most beautiful but also his favorite. She had many interests but, most of all, she loved to swim each even- ing with her ladies-in-waiting at a-special place in tie Niger which flowed through her husband's kingdom.

How did Mansa Musa lose his money? ›

With his lavish spending and generosity in Cairo, (Mansa Musa) ran out of money and had to borrow at high rates of interest for the return journey. Ibn Battuta says that Mansa Musa borrowed 50,000 dinars from Siraj al-Din ibn al-Kuwayk, a rich merchant from Alexandria, after he had spent all his wealth.

Following Mansa Musa's death around 1337, the empire fell victim to declining influence around Africa. Other trade centers developed, hurting the commercial wealth that had once so freely surrounded Mali. Poor leadership set the kingdom on a path of civil wars.

Mansa Musa was knowledgeable in Arabic and was described as a Muslim traditionalist. He became the first Muslim ruler in West Africa to make the nearly four thousand mile journey to Mecca. Preparing for the expedition took years and involved the work of artisans in numerous towns and cities across Mali.

Image Credit: (Left) Shutterstock.com | Above: (Left) A gold glitter map of Mali (Right) Mansa Musa sitting on a throne and holding a gold coin. For most of us, the thought of becoming a millionaire is the stuff of dreams.

While Munsa Musa's net worth is estimated to be $400 billion. Although with the recent rise to the cost of gold I assume that number has gone up too. But perhaps you may say that Munsa Musa had the most gold that's why they call him the richest man in history right? Well no.

Mansa Musa is renowned for his wealth and generosity. Online articles in the 21st century have claimed that Mansa Musa was the richest person of all time.

Mūsā I is widely considered the wealthiest man in history. He made his wealth and that of Mali known through a long and extravagant pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, the 17th year of his reign as emperor of Mali.