Thought you knew the richest man of all time? Think again!

When the topic of who is the richest man of all time arises, often times names that appear in such conversations include the likes of Bill Gates – Co-founder and head of the technology giant that is Microsoft with an estimated net worth of $136 billion , John D. Rockerfeller who’s company The Standard Oil company dominated the American oil industry and has an estimated net worth of around $340 billion, Rothschild family who founded financial houses and own or control major banking institutions around the world have an estimated net worth of $350 billion while Carlos Slim, a Mexican businessman and investor has a net worth in the region of $71 billion. A name that does not seem to make the rounds is that of Musa Keita I of Mali.

Musa of Mali also known as Mansa Musa of Mali which in translation reads “king of kings” or “emperor” of Mali reigned for 25 years from 1312 – 1337 and his inflation adjusted net worth is estimated to be in excess of $400 billion making him the most wealthy man of all time. The Mali Empire is a kingdom that is usually overlooked by many historical books. Its rich gold mines and its capital city Timbuktu which was a centre of world trade in the later Middle Ages propelled it as an empire to be reckoned with. Its leader Mansa Musa reported to even have given gold to people he came across during his travels which subsequently depressed its value in Egypt at the time [Source British Museum].

Below is a list compiled by Celebrity Net Worth which highlights the richest people of all time and their net worth. The top 12 are as follows:

1. Mansa Musa I (Emperor of the Mali kingdom) – Net Worth $400 Billion
2. The Rothschild Family (Established finance houses also known as the Rothschild banking dynasty) – Net Worth $350 Billion
3. John D. Rockefeller (Started the Standard Oil company in the USA) – Net Worth $340 Billion
4. Andrew Carnegie (Led the enormous expansion of the steel industry in the United States in the 12^th He is also known as a philanthropist. – Net Worth $310 Billion
5. Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (Last emperor of Russian, reinged from 1894-1917) – Net Worth $300 Billion
6. Mir Osman Ali Khan (Monarch of the Hyderabad in India reigned between 1911 and 1948) – Net Worth $230 billion
7. William the Conqueror (King of England reigning between 1066 until his death in 1087) – Net Worth $229.5 Billion
8. Muammar Gaddafi (Revolutionary and prime minister of Libya between 1969 until his death in 2011) – Net Worth $200 Billion
9. Henry Ford (American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company) – Net Worth $199 Billion
10. Cornelius Vanderbilt (American business magnate and philanthropist who made his fortune in railroad and shipping) – Net Worth $185 Billion
11. Alan Rufus (1st Lord of Richmond and cousin to William the Conqueror) – Net Worth $178.65 billion
12. Bill Gates (Cofounder of Microsoft, investor, investor and philanthropist) – Net Worth $136 Billion