User:Sharadbob/Wealthiest People in History



This list of the richest people ever or the most wealthy historical figures is essentially a list of the richest people in recorded history, or the richest people ever born (ancient, medieval, and modern).

The list is based on calculations by Forbes. It is updated annually to reflect changes to GDP. However, their wealth or net worth is hard to estimate and the ancient historical figures are scarce in numbers or rare on the list. Also, the list presupposes the notion of private property, excluding monarchies where the ruler may theoretically own an entire empire (such as the pharaohs, who "owned" all of Ancient Egypt, or Alexander the Great who "owned" most of the known world).

Ranking process
The ranking process is done by the percentage of the total GDP of the nation they lived in at the time they were alive. Whether or not their fortune was inherited, the list records the people at the time of their greatest net worth, not by their current net worth, or their net worth when they died.

The list does not significantly change from year to year unless there is a new person who qualifies to be on the list or someone surpasses their previous peak amount. However, this can only really happen to those who are still alive. On occasion, there is an undiscovered billionaire from ancient times, the Middle Ages, and the Industrial Age that was not placed on the list before, or one of the billionaires already on the list has been found to have a higher peak net worth than previously thought. If this is proven, or a new billionaire is found, then the figure or net worth should be placed on the following list.

However, if the country where the member originally lived is now defunct, then the inflated net worth has to be averaged by the world GDP, rather than the country's. Because of this, the world GDP may be higher or lower than the other country's GDP and not tied to the same standard. This is really the only time where a member's net worth can be changed above the standard after he or she dies, thereby raising or lowering their rank on the list (e.g. Nicholas II of Russia).

Top ten wealthiest historical figures

 * Based on the international or World GDP              Locked on the Gold Standard

Other wealthy historical figures

 * Bill Gates, the richest living person, has an estimated net worth of USD 40 billion. He reached USD 101 billion in 1999.
 * Warren Buffett, the second richest living person, has an estimated net worth of USD 37 billion. According to the stock index of Berkshire Hathaway, his fortune peaked on December 11, 2007 at USD 66.09 billion.
 * Carlos Slim Helú, the third richest living person, has an estimated net worth of USD 35 billion.
 * Croesus' name in Greek and Persian cultures became a synonym for a wealthy man; in English, expressions such as "rich as Croesus" or "richer than Croesus" are used to indicate great wealth. Croesus himself is often credited with the invention of the first formalized currency systems and coinage.
 * Mansa Musa was ruler of the Empire of Mali during its height in the 14th century. During a typical Muslim Hajj, it is customary to give alms, or charity, to the poor. During his Hajj to Mecca, Musa gave so much gold that the price of gold went down significantly across the entire Africa-Eurasia World. It is estimated that he gave away 30,000 pounds of gold, just during his stay in Mecca, not counting the silks and other luxuries that he gave as well. It is assumable that he had many times that back in Mali.  Musa's lasting impact was alerting the world of West Africa's vast gold resources.
 * The Medici family of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici was worth ƒ 57,930 in 1481.