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Do you know that in history there was a person, whose wealth surpasses even the richest people of today. Mansa Musa, the 14th-century emperor of the Mali Empire in West Africa was considered as the richest person to have ever lived in history. If we compare to today’s times inflation, Mansa Musa’s wealth can be estimated to be around USD 400 billion. This wealth is far more higher than today’s billionaires like Elon Musk (USD 195.8 billion), Jeff Bezos (USD 194.6 billion), and India’s richest person like Mukesh Ambani (USD 117.8 billion), Gautam Adani (USD 83.6 billion), and Ratan Tata.
Mansa Musa was Born in 1280 AD, he became the ruler of the Mali Empire in 1312 AD. His empire had vast natural resources, particularly gold and salt. Famous Gold mines in regions such as Bambuk, Wangara, Bure, Galam, and Taghaza gave a constant flow of gold to his empire. Apart from the Gold, the northern regions were producers of abundant salt.
His empire includes current times Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso and Timbuktu was its cultural and economic capital. Mansa Musa’s major source of wealth came from these natural resources, mostly from the gold from fampus Mali’s mines. Later on he got associated with trans-Saharan trade routes which also boosted his empire’s wealth, as Mali became a hub for commerce.
Apart from his wealth, what makes Mansa Musa a legendary figure in history was his generosity. His lavish gifts of gold were so remarkable, according to the reports. Lucy Duran from the School of African and Oriental Studies in London has shown how his incredible generosity was unmatched. Mansa Musa was also known for his wisdom.
There is another great thing for which Mansa Musa is always remembered for is he made a famous pilgrimage to Mecca. According to historical accounts, his caravan was the largest ever to cross the Sahara desert. It included 100 camels laden with gold, accompanied by 12,000 servants and 60,000 slaves.
The BBC reports that Mansa Musa carried around 18 tonnes of gold on this pilgrimage, which in 2022 would be worth over USD 957 million. He also distributed gold along the way including Cairo, where his presence led to an economic downturn due to the sudden increase in wealth of the people.
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