5 Richest Persons From The Older World You Should Know

When you think about the wealthiest persons in the world, the names Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, or Kylie Jenner will most likely spring up in your mind. But, what they have amassed is nothing of what many notable personalities from the yore did. The unaccounted wealth of these individuals surpasses the world’s richest by significant numbers. Several estimates have been made to calculate their wealth. Yet, experts believe that there is much more than what we know- and this is an exciting thing to ponder.

We all know the wealthiest in the contemporary world, but we should know who the richest were in older times. I have listed down five such persons from the older times in no particular older. You likely have heard of many of them because they had been some of the most historically influential humans of all time.

Mansa Musa

Historians believe that the richest person from ancient times has to be Mansa Musa. Having ruled the 9th Mansa of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337 AD, Mansa Musa was known to have lived a luxurious life throughout his reign. Many experts believe that there is no way one can accurately estimate his actual wealth. They also believe that he propagated himself as someone with enormous, almost limitless wealth at his disposal, which could have given rise to the belief that he had incomparable wealth. Records show that he owned the Bambuk gold mines, which, if you are not aware, provide for more than half of the global supply today.

Akbar I

Akbar the Great, or Akbar I, was one of the most famous rulers in the Mughal dynasty and ruled from 1556 to 1605. Known to have an appealing personality and tactical mindset, he managed to consolidate the Mughal rule across the Indian subcontinent. One of the methods he employed was the implementation of a centralized administration system, especially in the areas of tax administration, through what was called the “Mansabdar System.” The sheer size of his territory brought him resources that roughly amounted to 25 percent of the world’s GDP at the time.

Augustus Caesar

Reigning from 27 BC to AD 14, Augustus Caesar, or Octavian, was the first Roman Emperor who changed the course of global history in several ways. He was known for his undaunting spirit and strategic mindset, qualities that helped him strengthen the foundation of an Empire that would go on to become the most formidable one for more than fifteen hundred years. Throughout his reign, he implemented revenue reforms and amassed a great amount of wealth. At the time, his wealth accounted for a minimum of 25 percent of the world’s GDP, and this estimate did not include his personal fortune.

John D. Rockefeller

The American oil industry knows the name very well. John D. Rockefeller was a man with unparalleled clout in the oil industry during the 20th century. He established the Standard Oil Company in the United States, which was further segmented into several businesses, many of which still exist. The said segmentation occurred following a Supreme Court ruling against his company and its anti-competitive practices. He was the first billionaire in the United States of America, with his overall wealth amounting to 2 percent of the national economy. Even today, none of the contemporary American billionaires come close to what he amassed in his lifetime.

Andrew Carnegie

Another American industrialist on the list, Andrew Carnegie, was, and still is, a name to be reckoned with. His business area was the steel industry which he developed and expanded at a large scale. His wealth was pegged at USD 372 billion at the time. But Andrew was known for things other than his industrialist ambitions. He was a well-respected philanthropist in the United States and contributed 90 percent of his wealth to several causes. He would openly advocate for the participation of the rich in the growth of society through charity. He, especially, contributed to educational causes and funded the foundation of as many as 1600 public libraries in the country.

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