4. Augustus Caesar – peak net worth: $4.63 trillion
The first Roman emperor, who ruled the vast empire from 27 BC until his death in AD 14, boasted a personal fortune equivalent to 20% of the entire empire’s economy, worth $4.63 trillion nowadays. At one point Augustus even owned Egypt. It wasn’t to last however. Poor economic performance and a succession of military failures plagued his final years.
3. Akbar I – peak net worth: $21 trillion
Renowned for his lavish lifestyle and patronage of the arts, this emperor conquered hundreds of thousands of square miles of territory and ruled over much of the Indian subcontinent, known as the Mughal Empire from 1556 until 1605. He controlled around 25% of the world’s GDP at the time, which would translate to a staggering $21 trillion today.