According to Forbes’ 2024 world billionaires list, Bernard Arnault is the richest person in the world with a fortune of 233 billion dollars. He is followed by Elon Musk with $195 billion and Jeff Bezos with $194 billion. Although Musk, Bezos and Arnault have great wealth, unfortunately they are not among the richest people of all time. For example, Mansa Musa, the ruler of the Kingdom of Mali in the 14th century, is estimated to have a fortune of 400 billion dollars. We have brought together the 10 richest people in history for you. From Mansa Musa to John D. Rockefeller, here are the richest people in history..
1- Mansa Musa( ? – 1337)
We start this list of the richest people in history with Mansa Musa. Ruling a vast kingdom on the African continent, Mansa Musa’s lands were home to the world’s largest gold mines. The kingdom also controlled important trade routes. According to legend, when Mansa Musa went to Mecca for pilgrimage, he astonished people. Mansa Musa made a glittering entrance to Mecca with his golden staff, slaves carrying gold bars and camels adorned with gold. Some scholars claim that Mansa Musa had a fortune of 400 billion dollars in today’s dollars. It is impossible to know how far these claims reflect reality. But by historical and contemporary standards, Mansa Musa had an enormous fortune.
2- John. D. Rockefeller (1839 – 1937)
We are all familiar with the wealth and power of the Rockefeller family. At its peak, the family owned a company that produced 90 to 95 percent of US oil. John D. Rockefeller, founder and major shareholder of Standard Oil, became America’s first billionaire after the success of his first refinery in Ohio. Later on, he added to his fortune with his shrewd and, of course, unethical investments. Rockefeller’s fortune had reached such a point that before his death he donated 540 million dollars to charity alone.
3- Andrew Carnegie (1935 – 1919)
Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-born American businessman, was one of the richest men in 19th century America. He created a monopoly in the iron and steel industry, just as Rockefeller did in the oil industry. Carnegie, who stood out with his philanthropy, built more than 2500 libraries and opened many universities. In 1901, he sold his company to J.P. Morgan for a record 480 million dollars. By historical standards, this was more than ordinary people could even dream of.
4- Marcus Licinius Crassus (A.D. 115 – 53)
Crassus is remembered as the general who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Empire. Crassus made a great fortune by confiscating the property of the men of the Roman consul Gaius Marius and selling these properties to his own circle at cheap prices. On the other hand, he also sold the properties he bought cheaply at very high prices. For this reason, he was known as the richest man in Rome. Crassus’ total wealth is estimated to be 200 million sesterces.
5- II. Nicholas (1868 – 1918)
Inheriting the wealth of the Romanov dynasty in 1894, Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia’s glittering era. His treasury contained millions of dollars worth of jewelry, gold bullion and important works of art. He also owned many immovable properties. After the Bolshevik revolution in 1918, he was assassinated and his assets were seized by the revolutionaries.
6- Mir Osman Ali Khan (1886 – 1967)
Mir Osman Ali Khan was the last ruler of Hyderabad, the largest province in British India. The province had the most productive diamond mine in the world. Hyderabad was also a highly developed pearl industry. Historians say that the ruler had a private treasury of £100 million in gold and £400 million in jewelry. Apart from all this, Ali Khan’s wealth included real estate, hundreds of carats of jewelry that he used privately, and cash. The ruler was so rich that in 1937 he was described on the cover of Time magazine as the richest man in the world.
7- I. William (1028 – 1087)
King of England from 1066 to 87, William I was one of the richest men history has ever seen. Born in Normandy, France, William led the Norman conquest of England by suppressing the uprisings of the English. He amassed great wealth through inherited land and marriage. According to contemporary valuation, William is estimated to have a fortune of 229.5 billion dollars.
8- Jakob Fugger (1459 – 1525)
Fugger, also known as the wealthy Jakop Fugger, was the largest entrepreneur, merchant and banker on the European continent. In his 30s, Fugger ran the family textile company. He was so successful in trade and banking that he used his financial power to support the Habsburg monarchy. In fact, he gave the monarchy considerable political influence.
9- Henry Ford (1863 – 1947)
Henry Ford, the developer of the mass production assembly line technique and founder of the Ford Motor Company, revolutionized transportation by building the first automobile affordable to middle-class Americans. After launching the Model T, he became one of the richest and most recognizable people in the world. At contemporary valuation, Ford is estimated to be worth 199 billion dollars.
10- Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794 – 1877)
We end our list of the richest people in history with Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as the “Comodore”. Vanderbilt made most of his fortune in the railroad and maritime fields. At the time he lived, the railroad industry was booming. Seeing this as an opportunity, Vanderbilt invested heavily in the growing railroad industry and completely changed the transportation network of the United States. Vanderbilt, who grew his fortune with transoceanic steamship lines as well as railroad constructions, became one of the richest people in the world with a fortune of 185 billion dollars.
