Who was the richest person who ever lived and what was their life like?

Tycoons Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are currently in contention for the title of “richest person in the world”, and their attempts to outdo each other have resulted in an interesting and fun rivalry. However, if we take history into account, these two still need to fight hard to catch up with the richest man of all time, an African king named Mansa Muça.

You’re probably wondering who Mansa Muça is, and that’s why the awesome.club is here, to tell you a little of this interesting story. Follow up!

Musa I was born in 1280 and received the title of “Mansa” (meaning “sultan” or “emperor” in the Mandinka language) after taking the throne in 1312.

He came to power after his predecessor and brother, Mansa Abu-Bakr, abdicated to undertake an expedition across the Atlantic Ocean, a voyage from which he never returned.

The kingdom of Mali grew a lot under the rule of Mansa Muça. His empire controlled a large territory that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to present-day Niger, that is, more than 3,200 km. The controlled territory included the following current countries: Senegal, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

It was one of the largest empires in West Africa, and because of this, both its language and its laws have influenced the region’s current culture.

In the 14th century, the Mali Empire was responsible for almost half of the world’s gold, and all this wealth belonged to Emperor Mansa Muça.

According to one expert, the ruler of the kingdom had unlimited access to the most valuable resource in the world at that time.

In addition, trade centers for other goods were also located within the territory commanded by Mansa Muça, so he also owned these riches.

Although Bezos and Musk’s net worth is constantly fluctuating, both have recorded values ​​above 200 billion dollars.

However, they are still far behind the $400 billion figure that experts have calculated for Mansa Muça. The value would be enough even for the fictional country of Wakanda.

One professor told the BBC in an interview that “contemporary accounts of Musa’s wealth are so impressive that it is almost impossible to know the real extent of his wealth and power.”

In 1324, Mansa Muça made a pilgrimage and supposedly took 60,000 men with him.

The team included all their royal officers, soldiers, merchants, slaves, a few goats and sheep for food, and about a hundred camels, each with a handsome load of gold.

Of course, it was all done very elegantly, as most of them were dressed in fine Persian silk and lots of gold.

According to historical accounts, Mansa Muça gave gold to the poor he met along his journey, and exchanged gold for objects when he passed through Cairo and Medina.

Ancient historian Al-Umari wrote about a conversation he had with an emir of Cairo who met Mansa Muça. According to him, the African king spoke through an interpreter, although he was fluent in Arabic.

According to the emir, Mansa Muça “flooded” Cairo with its riches. The surplus of gold caused the value of the ore to fall, which resulted in economic losses in the order of 1.5 billion dollars across the Middle East.

“He distributed so much Malian gold along the way that the jelis (griôs) do not like to praise him in their songs because they think he wasted local resources outside the Empire,” said one academic.

Apparently, simple travel objects and gifts did not suit Mansa Muça. During the expedition, he conquered the territory of Gao, within the Songhay Empire, and expanded his conquests as far south as the Sahara Desert.

On the other hand, he also used his immense wealth for a greater good. During his reign, he opened universities and libraries across the kingdom. Some of these old buildings still exist today.

In a Catalan atlas from 1375, over Timbuktu (which became part of the Mali Empire) was a drawing of an African king sitting on a throne and holding a piece of precious metal in his hands.

During the 19th century, Timbuktu gained the mythical status of the “Lost City of Gold” and became a popular destination for treasure hunters and explorers.

Mansa Muça was responsible for starting the tradition of education in West Africa. And that’s why we ask ourselves: if he was so rich and so important, why don’t we hear about him?

After his death, around 1330, his sons inherited the throne. However, they were not able to keep the empire together and little by little the states were separating.

When Europeans arrived in the region, the kingdom finally ended. According to one expert, “the history of the medieval period is still analyzed as a Western history”, which is why the history of Mansa Muça is relatively unknown.

If Mansa Muça were alive, what question would you ask him? And if he had billions of dollars at his disposal, how would he like to spend them? Comment!