Mansa Musa...

Image Source: Black History dot org, link below

Topics: Africa, African Americans, Afrofuturism, Black Panther, Diaspora, Education, History

In the vast fictional universe of Marvel Comics, T’Challa, better known as Black Panther, is not only king of Wakanda, he’s also the richest superhero of them all. And although today’s fight for the title of wealthiest person alive involves a tug-of-war between billionaire CEOs, the wealthiest person in history, Mansa Musa, has more in common with Marvel’s first black superhero.

Musa became ruler of the Mali Empire in 1312, taking the throne after his predecessor, Abu-Bakr II, for whom he’d served as deputy, went missing on a voyage he took by sea to find the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Musa’s rule came at a time when European nations were struggling due to raging civil wars and a lack of resources. During that period, the Mali Empire flourished thanks to ample natural resources like gold and salt.

And under the rule of Musa, the prosperous empire grew to span a sizable portion of West Africa, from the Atlantic coast to the inland trading hub of Timbuktu and parts of the Sahara Desert. As the territory grew while Musa was on the throne, so did the economic standing of its citizens. [1]

History's wealthiest person is a Black man named Mansa Musa, who was an emperor of the West African kingdom of Mali from the year 1312 and 1337. He was worth more than $400 billion, making him the number one richest person in history... period! (In comparison, as of 2018, Bill Gates is worth $93 billion, Mark Zuckerberg is worth $77 billion, and Jeff Bezos is worth $143 billion!) [2]

1. This 14th-Century African Emperor Remains the Richest Person in History, Thad Morgan, History.com
2. The Richest Person in History Was a Black Man (Worth More Than Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos Combined!), BlackHistory.org