Growing up in an Afrocentric household, one of my parents' most commonly spouted tidbits of trivia related to Mansa Musa and his immense wealth. "You know," they'd say, for the 46th time that month, "Mansa Musa was the wealthiest man ever. Even compared to modern millionaires."
Mansa Musa was the Islamic ruler of Mali who traveled across Africa during his Hajj pilgrimage to flaunt and donate his exorbitant wealth. It was essentially Cribs: the roadshow. The trip forever enshrined Mansa Musa's name alongside the other historical bastions of obscene wealth. Consequently, whenever a new headline emerges touting Jeff Bezos as the wealthiest man ever to live, you can bet some Afrocentric brother from Harlem—that sells incense and conspiracy DVDs for a living—will bring up Mansa Musa as a counter-argument. But how does Mansa Musa compare to modern billionaires like Elon Musk?
In the video linked above, Home Team History offers their take on the debate between wealthy African kings and their modern equivalent in the billionaire class.
