AFRICANGLOBE– When we think of the wealthiest people in the world, we most often think of the Waltons(of Wal-Mart fame), Warren Buffett, or Bill Gates.

However, if you go a bit further back in history, you’ll discover that the wealth of the kings, queens, and rulers of yester year trumps the bank accounts of most modern day millionaires and even billionaires by a mile.

In fact, during his time, one man controlled more wealth than Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and the most wealthy member of the Walton family, Sam Walton, combined. That man was Mansa Musa I. With an adjusted net worth of approximately $400 billion, Musa is without a doubt the richest man to have ever lived. So who was he? And why haven’t you heard more about him?

Emperor Mansa Musa I, also known as Musa of Mali (Mansa actually means “King of Kings”), was born in Mali, sometime in the 1280s. Mansa Musa came to be king in a rather roundabout way. His grandfather, Abu Bakr, was the brother of Sundiata Keita, the man who founded the Malian Empire.

Neither Abu Bakr or his son, Faga Laye, ever took the throne, and Mansa Musa was appointed deputy ruler if the king ever went on an extended trip or pilgrimage to Mecca. He was appointed deputy under Abubakari II, who had visions of exploring the far reaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

Abubakari sent 200 boats out into the sea, ordering they not return from their voyage until they had reached the far side of the Atlantic, or until they ran out of food and water, whichever came first. Quite a long time later, one boat returned, with tales of a great whirlpool that had drowned everyone.

Abubakari didn’t believe the captain’s story, so he took 2,000 boats, and appointing himself head of the expedition, set off to find the truth. As the King’s deputy, Mansa Musa became ruler in his absence. Abubakari II never returned, and Mansa Musa eventually inherited the throne.

Much of Musa’s wealth came from the production of mosques, madrsasas, and universities, many of which are still standing today. The University of Sankore was built during his time, and is still in existence. The quality of life in urban centers, such as Timbuktu, was vastly superior to other parts of the world at the time, largely due to the availability of work, and Musa’s control of the gold and salt trades.

When traveling throughout his kingdom on the way to Mecca in 1324, his procession included 60,000 people.

Along the way, 12,000 of his followers carried four-pound gold bars, which he gave away to the poor everywhere he went. Unfortunately, this devalued the gold, especially in Cairo, Medina, and Mecca, and Musa subsequently borrowed as much gold as he could from money lenders in Cairo, even though it was loaned at a high interest rate.

As a result, he now controlled the price of gold for all of the Mediterranean. He also controlled more than half of the world’s salt supply. Between his gold and his salt, traders from as far away as Europe made annual trips to his kingdom from Venice, Granada, and Genoa, and this gave him the power to set prices as high he wanted.



In 1330, Mossi invaded Timbuktu, which Musa had annexed in 1325. He quickly recaptured the city, fortifying its boundary with a fort and a standing army. As a major seat for trade in the region, control of Timbuktu meant control of the flow of money. During his reign, Mali grew to have more than 400 bustling cities.

Muslim scholars from abroad flocked to the University of Sankore to study, and Musa controlled everything from his massive palace in Timbuktu, which was constructed by architects imported from Andalusia in Spain.

He also created one large system of government for most of the Western Sudan. Under his rule, the region was said to exist in “complete and general safety.”



Records of how Musa died vary greatly, so it’s unclear whether he died soon after returning from his pilgrimage to Mecca, or whether he continued to live for another ten years. His son, Mansa Maghan, became ruler in 1332, and his older brother, Mansa Suleyman, became ruler in 1336.

Mansa Musa’s period of rule is recorded as 25 years, but whether his reign ended in 1332 because of his death, or his resignation, remains unclear. What is clear, is that for over two decades, one man almost single-handedly controlled a massively wealthy empire with multiple major trading ports.

Today, there aren’t any billionaires who could command 12,000 people to carry four-pound bricks of gold on an incredibly long walk. Or even billionaires who could affect the price of gold by simply being in charge.

Mansa Musa was not only the wealthiest man to ever live, but arguably the most powerful.

This may be a good part of the reason his story is skimmed over in most textbooks. That aside, Mansa Musa is a clear, and perhaps rare example, of a very wealthy individual who held at least an equal amount of power to go along with it.

By: Paula Wilson
http://lazyreporta.com/a-deeper-look-into-the-life-of-mansa-musa-the-richest-human-being-ever-liveth/

BY KAYODE- I am not a Biafran and neither am I Igbo. I do however believe that it is the inalienable right of any human being or ethnic nationality to aspire to be free and to be able to determine its own destiny. The right to self-determination is enshrined in international law and it is guaranteed by every moral stricture known to man. It is a right that has been exercised successfully over and over again in world history and it has led to the creation of new nations which were carved out of older ones. The denial of that right and the suppression and persecution of those who attempt to exercise it leads to nothing but defiance, dissent and resistance and, if not properly managed, it eventually spills over into war and carnage. This has been the primary cause of most of history’s most brutal civil wars, including the American, Russian, French, English, Indian, Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Nigerian, Angolan, Congolese, Zimbabwean, Yugoslavian, Ukrainian, Nicaraguan, Cuban, Irish, Syrian, Libyan, Indonesian, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish, Iraqi, Italian, Lebanese ones and countless others. I do not believe in violent change and neither do I believe in war, revolution, terror or the use of arms in the pursuance of even the most noble causes. I do however believe in the power of ideas and the right of any man, woman or people to yearn to be free from bondage and to peacefully and freely express that yearning. It is in this context that I situate my belief in and support for those that view the Nigerian federation as an oppressive entity which has effectively enslaved its people in an attempt to create what is essentially an artificial and unworkable state. Those that believe in Nigeria have every right to continue to do so and to voice their resolve to keep Nigeria one. What they do not have the right to do is to refuse to offer the same degree of freedom of expression to those that do not believe in a united Nigeria and who instead believe in the peaceful dissolution of our nation to speak their minds and voice their views. What is good for the goose is surely good for the gander. You cannot grant one side of the divide freedom of expression whilst you deny it to the other.

jcmaiah:
BY KAYODE-
I am not a Biafran and neither am I Igbo. I do
however believe that it is the inalienable right of
any human being or ethnic nationality to aspire to
be free and to be able to determine its own
destiny. The right to self-determination is
enshrined in international law and it is guaranteed
by every moral stricture known to man.
It is a right that has been exercised successfully
over and over again in world history and it has
led to the creation of new nations which were
carved out of older ones. The denial of that right
and the suppression and persecution of those
who attempt to exercise it leads to nothing but
defiance, dissent and resistance and, if not
properly managed, it eventually spills over into
war and carnage.
This has been the primary cause of most of
history’s most brutal civil wars, including the
American, Russian, French, English, Indian, Sri
Lankan, Sudanese, Nigerian, Angolan, Congolese,
Zimbabwean, Yugoslavian, Ukrainian, Nicaraguan,
Cuban, Irish, Syrian, Libyan, Indonesian, Korean,
Vietnamese, Spanish, Iraqi, Italian, Lebanese ones
and countless others. I do not believe in violent
change and neither do I believe in war, revolution,
terror or the use of arms in the pursuance of even
the most noble causes.
I do however believe in the power of ideas and
the right of any man, woman or people to yearn
to be free from bondage and to peacefully and
freely express that yearning. It is in this context
that I situate my belief in and support for those
that view the Nigerian federation as an oppressive
entity which has effectively enslaved its people in
an attempt to create what is essentially an
artificial and unworkable state.
Those that believe in Nigeria have every right to
continue to do so and to voice their resolve to
keep Nigeria one. What they do not have the right
to do is to refuse to offer the same degree of
freedom of expression to those that do not
believe in a united Nigeria and who instead
believe in the peaceful dissolution of our nation to
speak their minds and voice their views. What is
good for the goose is surely good for the gander.
You cannot grant one side of the divide freedom
of expression whilst you deny it to the other.

Bro pls where did you quote this Kayode from?

I love this!

i know musa was rich but the bible says its Solomon

Wanted Urgently