The Richest Person Ever

Who is the richest person who ever lived?

In 2023, Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault have vied for the top spot, each floating around the $200 billion mark as their underlying businesses’ stock prices fluctuate. Today, there are between seven and ten centibillionaires in the world, depending on what week you take a look.

These guys look like amateur clowns compared to John D Rockefeller, though. When he died in 1937, he was so rich that he owned about 1.5% of the entire U.S. economy. In today's money, that would be around $350 billion.

There’s one other contender, though, and there’s a strong case to be made that this fella was much, much richer than even Rockefeller. The best way to demonstrate this is by zooming in on a religious journey—the hajj—so we can see some of this wealth on prominent display.

I’ve asked

Edwin Kiptoo Ngetich

, who runs

THE STARTUP from AFRICA

to help me tell today’s tale. Check out his stuff when you’re done here! He works hard to bring attention to underserved communities, and I have learned a lot by read…