We all now who the richest guy is in the world right now, but do you know the richest people of all time? Compared with their net worths, today’s billionaires can not even squeeze into our list!
Many of the people in history who have achieved the greatest wealth weren’t not inventors or salespersons, but instead came from loyalty. Let’s see who they are!
#11. Bill Gates ($136 Billion)
Of course, Bill is on the list! In today’s world, almost everyone knows the name Bill Gates. As the founder of Microsoft, Gates creates a very expensive thing that all of us have to buy, much like building the first car in the world.
#10. Alan Rufus ($178.65 Billion)
Alan Rufus was one of the most famous companions of William The Conqueror. It is estimated that Rufus lived between 1040 and 1093.
Land holdings were Rufus’s primary source of wealth, but he also gathered buckets of gold in the commerce market. Wool and salt were Rufus’ loyal friends. Rufus’ ancestors include many Counts, Dukes, Bishops. He was the one who born with a silver spoon, literally.
#9. Henry Ford ($199 Billion)
Henry Ford is the man propelling the rise of Detroit. Back to the turn of the century, nobody drove cars. And without any other players in America’s auto industry, Ford nailed his early monopoly and became insanely rich afterwards.
His family is still rich, and the youngest grandson of Henry Ford once owned the Detroit Lions.
#8. Muammar Gaddafi ($200 Billion)
You may still remember Muammar Gaddafi of Libya. As the leader of Libya, he held the title for 42 years until the nasty Libyan Civil War in 2011. As the leader of a country, Gaddafi not surprisingly amassed a great amount of money.
#7. William The Conqueror ($229.6 Billion)
William The Conqueror was almost deprived of his Dukehood before his life even started. As he was born out of wedlock to a mistress, he was dubbed William The Bastard. After defeating rebels who didn’t consider he as fitful for royalty, they realized that Williams was not a pushover. The expansion of William’s territory and conquering of England made him one of the richest men at that time. So, the bastard finally triumphed.
#6. Mir Osman Ali Khan ($230 Billion)
In the shining history of Hyderabad and Berar, Mir Osman Ali Khan was the final Nizam. His reign ended when India annexed Hyderabad and all his power got lost in that region.
Ali Khan’s ending was quite a sad one. He was worth around $1 billion before his death. Because of legal disputes among the family, the money was split into around 100 different directions, but even after this he was still incredibly wealthy.
#5. Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov ($300 Billion)
The Romanovs had made great achievements (monetarily) for years, but nothing could last forever. In the history of Russia, Nicholas II became the final Emperor. Whatever, he still earned the titles of Grand Duke of Finland and King of Poland. He might not be a nice guy we would like, but he definitely was one of the wealthiest.
#4. Andrew Carnegie ($310 Billion)
Andrew Carnegie, the legendary figure everyone should have heard of, made his first fortune by working as a telegrapher. Then after the first bucket of gold, he invested in railroads and oil, which just brought him back with huge returns.
Carnegie was never that kind of guy who would be satisfied easily. He then made a very meaningful and smart move. He started his personal business in the steel industry. When he was about to depart, the steel company was sold for $13.6 billion in today’s money. His name then was expanded into colleges, concert venues and museums. You can still see this great guy’s name in New York today.
#3. John D. Rockefeller ($340 Billion)
Rockefeller, the monarch of oil of America, was the third richest man in the world’s history. He also knew that colleges are a fantastic way to make money. He founded University of Chicago, Central Philippine University, and Rockefeller University. If the tuition at that time were as high as today’s level, he might be at the top of our list.
#2. The Rothschild Family ($350 Billion)
One of the most prominent family in the world’s history. Rothschild Family began to prosper when Mayer Amschel Rothschild entered the banking business in the late 1700’s. His mantle was passed on to five kids, who later all found their destinies in the banking business. Quite a few of the Rothschilds were so successful that they became Austrian nobles at last.
#1. Mansa Musa I ($400 Billion)
As the Mansa (the emperor) of Mali for 25 years, Musa I was a man of the moment. The Mali Empire was quite powerful at that time, and thus a staggering amount of wealth was also accumulated. So, as the emperor, Musa I almost controlled everything.
It’s just too bad not many people know who he is, but Musa I indeed should be regarded as the richest man who ever lived in this world.
