The richest person in history is widely considered to be Mansa Mūsā I of Mali, a 14th-century emperor whose immense wealth from gold and salt made his empire one of the richest in the world, with his riches often described as incalculable and beyond modern comprehension. While exact figures are impossible, his legendary extravagance during his pilgrimage to Mecca showcased wealth that dwarfed that of contemporary figures, solidifying his status as history's wealthiest individual.
Musa himself further promoted the appearance of having vast, inexhaustible wealth by spreading rumors that gold grew like a plant in his kingdom. Encyclopedia Britannica states that he is "widely considered to be the wealthiest person in history".
No one in the history of the world has ever amassed $1 trillion in wealth before. But that looks like it's about to change—soon.
TIL the richest person in the world was Mansa Musa, the 14th Century West African ruler, perhaps equal to $400bn in today's money.
Business Insider agreed on Rockefeller in first, but placed Andrew Carnegie second, followed by Vanderbilt, and Gates.
In 1882, Standard Oil Trust created a network of Standard Oil companies throughout the country, led by a board of trustees, where Rockefeller owned over one third of the certificates. By the late 1880s, Standard Oil controlled 90% of American refineries.
Cornelius Vanderbilt amassed a fortune of $100 million dollars by time of his death in 1877. This translates to just over $2.5 billion in today's money.
Mansa Musa, the 14th-century emperor of the Mali Empire, is often regarded as the richest person in history.
Genghis Khan — $120 Trillion 3. Emperor Shenzong — $45 Trillion 4. Akbar I — $29 Trillion 5. Empress Wu Zetian — $25 Trillion 6.
Musa is believed to have been the richest person in history, even by today's standards. His expansive kingdom included all or parts of modern-day Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad.
Yes, Kim Kardashian is generally considered richer than Taylor Swift, though both are billionaires, with Kardashian often leading due to her successful businesses like SKIMS, while Swift's wealth comes from music, tours (like The Eras Tour), and films. Recent reports (late 2025) place Kardashian's net worth around $1.9 billion, slightly ahead of Swift's $1.6 billion, though these figures fluctuate.
The world's 10 richest families
Richest family in the world - The Saudi royal family, known as the House of Saud, is the wealthiest royal family in the world with a net worth of approximately $1.4 trillion. This immense wealth primarily stems from Saudi Arabia's vast oil reserves, managed through the state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco.
His estimated net worth would be around $499 billion today, when adjusted for inflation. Elon Musk's current wealth, however, is understood to have now eclipsed that of Rockefeller's. On December 29, Forbes estimated Musk's fortune to be $744.6 billion.
Mansa Musa, the 14th-century emperor of the Mali Empire, is often regarded as the richest person in history. His wealth, primarily derived from the abundant gold mines of West Africa, was legendary.
Henry Ford: second-generation immigrant, entrepreneur, and founding father of one of America's most famous companies. By making cars affordable for the masses, he built up a fortune that would be worth around $200 billion (£162bn) today – but what happened to all that money after he died in 1947?
Rockefeller was worth an estimated $1.4 billion—a staggering sum that equaled roughly 1.5% of the U.S. economy as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP). In GDP terms, his wealth would be worth $435 billion in 2025 dollars—more than any living billionaire.
As of early January 2026, Elon Musk is consistently ranked as the world's richest man, leading lists from Forbes and Bloomberg, with significant wealth derived from Tesla, SpaceX, and his various tech ventures, often holding over $600-$700 billion, followed by tech leaders like Larry Page and Jeff Bezos. His fortune has seen significant growth, making him the first person to reach several multi-hundred-billion-dollar milestones, notes Wikipedia.
Augustus Caesar – peak net worth: $4.6 trillion (£3.4tn)
Modern estimates suggest he would be worth around $4.6 trillion (£3.4tn). At one point Augustus even owned Egypt.
Elon Musk is widely predicted to be the first trillionaire, with projections placing him to reach this milestone around 2027-2028, driven by potential growth in Tesla, SpaceX, and AI ventures, especially following a key shareholder vote approving a massive stock option package. Other contenders include Gautam Adani and Jensen Huang, but Musk currently leads the race.
That crown goes to Mansa Musa, the 14th-century king of the Mali Empire. His wealth was so vast that historians and economists struggle to put an official number on it.
In today's dollars, the Rothschild's were worth $360 billion and the Vanderbilts were worth around $215 billion. If you don't know the names of your great grandparents, it's probably because they didn't leave you any money.
Diane Hendricks tops the list as the richest self-made woman in America, turning ABC Supply into a roofing powerhouse through decades of smart, private growth.
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site is a historic house museum in Hyde Park, New York, United States. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1940, it is owned and operated by the National Park Service.