Let's start with a person of our time. Everyone knows Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft. For a long time he was the richest man in the world, but he had to give up his place to the person who now occupies the ninth place in this ranking.
9
Jeff Bezos
Who took the top spot from Bill Gates? It's Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, one of the most popular e-shops in the world. He also founded Blue Origin, a company with which he wants to capitalize on 'affordable' space tourism. Finally, he also bought the Washington Post. His fortune? 141.3 billion dollars
8
Alan Rufus
We dive into the past to meet Alan Rufus. He lived from 1040 to 1093 and was the nephew of William the Conqueror. With his uncle, he won the Norman conquest of England and this allowed him to own a gigantic land in the north of England. At his death he owned 11,000 pounds (12,500 euros)
7
John D. Rockefeller
During the 20th century, this billionaire was a famous oil magnate. He died in 1937 at the age of 97. He was responsible for the creation of the Standard Oil Company, the largest oil company in the United States. At one point, he owned 90% of all oil.
6
Andrew Carnegie
The Industrial Revolution didn't just put Rockefeller in the spotlight. Andrew Carnegie was also part of it. Andrew Carnegie left the oil industry to Rockefeller and concentrated on the steel industry with the Carnegie Steel Company.
5
Joseph Stalin
Not the most pleasant personality but, who says power, necessarily says money. The former leader of the Soviet Union died in 1953. At that time, he was the leader (or absolute ruler) of one of the largest nations in the world.
4
Akbar the Great
Even further back in history, there is Akbar the Great. This man ruled the Mongolian empire from 1556 to 1605. His territory was approximately the size of present-day India and accounted for 25% of the world's gross product. Conversion: 18.75 trillion dollars
3
Song Shenzong
The top 3 also starts with an emperor, but this one started ruling long before Akbar the Great. Song Shenzong belonged to the Chinese Song Dynasty and reigned from 1067 to 1085.
2
Augustus Caesar
No, not Julius but Augustus. Augustus ruled the Roman Empire from 27 to 14 BC, after the death of Julius Caesar. He was the man behind the Pax Romana and was able to take over a kingdom that also represented about 25-30% of the world's gross product.
1
Mansa Moussa
Who occupies the first place? Mansa Moussa, the former king of Mali, lived from 1280 to 1337. He would be the richest man of all time. Indeed, he was able to conquer Timbuktu and extend his empire to the Niger and thus the most important trans-Saharan trade routes.