He was incredibly wealthy (Image: Getty)
There are many celebrities with a net worth of over a billion, but can you imagine being worth $400 billion (£325 million)?
That’s a whole lot of money, and a fortune most people can only dream of, but Mansa Musa was wealthier than the Forbes’ five richest billionaires combined. But how, exactly, did he get so rich?
According to National Geographic, he ruled the kingdom of Mali from 1312 C.E. to 1337 C.E. During his reign, Mali was one of the richest kingdoms of Africa, and Mansa Musa was among the richest individuals in the world.
Mansa Musa turned the kingdom of Mali into a sophisticated centre of learning in the world.
He came to power in 1312 C.E., and he inherited a kingdom that was already wealthy, but his work in expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest kingdom in Africa. But where did his wealth come from?
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Well, it turns out that his wealth came from salt and gold, and he was able to mine significant amounts of both. Elephant ivory was another major source of wealth for him, and he was not subtle about his wealth, either, according to the history books.
When he went on pilgrimage, also known as Hajj, to Mecca, Arab writers claimed that he travelled with an entourage of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of gold – really showing off what he’d managed to make and proving how important he was.
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People even heard about him and his wealth in Europe. After his return from Mecca, Mansa Musa began to revitalise cities in his kingdom, building mosques and large public buildings in Gao and Timbuktu.
He died in 1337 and was succeeded by his two sons, but even after his death, he remained a symbol of amazing wealth.
His legacy does not end with his riches, however, as he is remembered as someone with great Islamic faith, he promoted scholarship, and also his patronage of culture in Mali.