6. Mansa Musa I of Mali – peak net worth: $415 billion
Musa I is easily one of the richest people in history, amassing the equivalent of $415 billion during his 25-year reign from 1312-1327. The King of Timbuktu and Malian emperor, who controlled a huge empire which covered much of modern-day Mali and Ghana, had half of the world’s supply of gold at his disposal, which was traded with merchants from as far away as Venice, Genoa and Egypt.
5. King Solomon of Israel – peak net worth: $2.2 trillion
According to the Bible, King Solomon ruled from 970 BC to 931 BC, and during this time he is said to have received 25 tons of gold for each of the 39 years of his reign, which would be worth billions of dollars in 2016. Along with impossible riches amassed from taxation and trade, the biblical ruler’s personal fortune could have surpassed $2 trillion in today’s money.