The Richest Man in History?
Discover the richest man in history — and how his pilgrimage to Mecca crashed the Mediterranean economy for 12 years. Mansa Musa ruled the Mali Empire (1312–1337) at its peak: 1.2 million km², 40 million people, producing half the world's gold. In 1324, he set off for Mecca with 60,000 attendants and 100 tons of gold — and gave so much away in Cairo that he caused a 20–25% inflation rate lasting 12 years. On the way home, he had to borrow gold — the only king in history to go into debt on a pilgrimage. His estimated modern wealth: $400 billion. One man's generosity crashed an entire regional economy.