Who are the 10 richest people in the world?
Elon Musk retains the top spot, amid speculation he will be the world's first trillionaire
With a fortune of around $400bn in today’s money, Mansa Musa I of Mali, the first king of Timbuktu, may not be a household name, but was by most estimates one of the richest people in history. Deriving his wealth from his country’s vast salt and gold deposits, which at one time accounted for half the world’s supply, Musa ruled West Africa’s Malian Empire in the early 14th century, constructing hundreds of mosques across the continent, many of which survive to this day.
With a fortune estimated at between $300-$400bn in today’s money, Tsar Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (Nicholas II) of Russia was deposed and subsequently executed by the Bolsheviks in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.
The Independent notes that, following his canonisation by the Russian Orthodox Church, he is also the richest saint in history.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Excluding kings, princes and those who inherited their wealth, the list of the world’s richest-ever men – and they are always men – is dominated by the so-called robber barons of 19th and early 20th century America.
Often cited as the richest person who ever lived, oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller was the first person to have a net worth of more than $1bn in the money of the time. At the time of this death his estate was worth an estimated $340bn in today’s money, almost 2% of total US economic output.
With an estimated fortune of $310bn in today’s money, steel magnate and Rockefeller contemporary Andrew Carnegie sold his Carnegie Steel Company to JP Morgan for $480m in 1901, and later made his name with his philanthropic donations.
Automobile pioneer Henry Ford, who perfected the production line and has become a by-word for American entrepreneurship, had a fortune of around $199bn at the time of his death in 1947.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - October 20, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Secret Service flaws, weather control, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 cartoon critiques of the Kamala Harris media blitz
Cartoons Artists take on 60 surrealist minutes, word salad, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Did the Covid virus leak from a lab?
The Explainer Once dismissed as a conspiracy theory, the idea that Covid-19 originated in a virology lab in Wuhan now has many adherents
By The Week UK Published
-
The rise of the world's first trillionaire
in depth When will it happen, and who will it be?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Donald Trump's bitcoin obsession
The Explainer Former president's crypto conversion a 'classic Trumpian transactional relationship', partly driven by ego-boosting NFTs
By The Week UK Published
-
Is Tesla finally in real financial trouble?
Talking Points Elon Musk's once-dominant electric vehicle company is facing falling profits and unfulfilled promises of future advances
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Tesla investors back Musk's $48B payday
Speed Read The company's shareholders approved a controversial compensation package for CEO Elon Musk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Elon Musk's future at Tesla may hang in the (very expensive) balance
Talking Points The iconic electric vehicle's board must convince shareholders it's worth awarding their tech titan CEO a $50 billion pay compensation package — or he might walk
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Musk clears Tesla self-driving hurdle in China
Speed Read The Tesla CEO won China's approval to introduce Full Self-Driving (FSD) cars
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why is Tesla stumbling?
In the Spotlight More competition, confusion about the future and a giant pay package for Elon Musk
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Tesla cuts prices in 'intensifying' EV war
Speed Read Electric vehicle giant has struggled in the face of weakening demand, competition from China and technical setbacks
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published