Mansa Musa: The richest man in history and his modern-day net worth Today's billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mukesh Ambani pale in comparison to the wealth of Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire, according to the South China Morning Post. Mansa Musa, born around 1280 AD, ascended to power in 1312 AD as the ninth sultan of the West African kingdom. His immense wealth was derived from the empire's abundant gold and salt resources, as well as the lucrative trade of elephant ivory, per National Geographic.   A...