Africa Eye
With nearly 436 billion euros in market capitalization, Elon Musk is currently, by far, the richest man in the world. However, he has not yet achieved the status of the richest man in history. He is still trailing behind a certain Mansa Musa, the former emperor of the Kingdom of Mali.
In the 14th century, the Mali Empire was one of the largest in West Africa. It stretched from Senegal to Timbuktu. At its helm was Emperor Mansa Musa. A direct descendant of a lineage of monarchs, he exploited the resources of his territories, notably the gold mines.
An Inestimable Fortune
Experts estimate that at the time, his kingdom held nearly half of the world’s gold resources. This abundance made Mansa Musa the richest man of all time. Although some experts explain that it is impossible to precisely estimate his wealth, others agree that it would be between 400 and 600 billion euros. The medieval West sought its gold from the Mali Empire.
An Epic Journey to Egypt
In 1324, Mansa Musa decided to organize his pilgrimage to Mecca. He went all out, bringing with him nearly 60,000 men, 12,000 slaves, and hundreds of camels. He especially carried 10 tons of gold, an astronomical amount to finance this true expedition. After crossing the Sahara, Mansa Musa decided to stop in Cairo, the capital of Islamic civilization at the time.
His visit left a significant mark on the region and its people. To impress and demonstrate the extent of his wealth, he distributed gold. So much so that he caused a devaluation of the local currency, leading to a drop in the price of gold. The region would take 10 years to recover from this economic crisis.
Although he is currently the richest man on Earth, Elon Musk will never be the richest man of all time. He will never surpass the fortune of Mansa Musa, which is considered “inestimable” by experts.
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