Money excites everyone's imagination. Everyone is interested in how much others earn, and who is the richest person on Earth.
According to the list of the journal “Forbes", The richest person today is the founder of the company Microsoft - Bill Gates, whose fortune is estimated at $ 79 billion. However, one should not think that such wealth is a phenomenon of the modern world. In fact, the founder Microsoft it would take several hundred billion more to top the list 10 richest people in history.
Throughout their lives, people have strived for wealth. Croesus, the last king of Lydia (550 BC), was so wealthy that his name became synonymous with “wealth". King Solomon (970 -931 BC) possessed such an impressive fortune that he became the protagonist of several biblical legends at once.
There is only one question: how to determine who was the richest person in history if there is no specific approach for this?
However, the attempt took place. To understand how wealthy the prominent personalities of history possessed, researchers tried to convert their gold and property into modern monetary equivalent, taking into account inflation and compiled a list of the 10 richest of them. You might be interested in the article 10 richest and humblest people in the world.
So, we present to your attention 10 richest people in history, whose fortune totals $ 2.7 trillion!
10.Richard Fitz-Alan, 10th Earl of Arundel - $ 127 billion
The tenth Earl of Arundel, a nobleman and general, lived in 12th century England. As a confidant of the Black Prince (Edward Woodstock), Richard was able to significantly increase his fortunes as a result of his participation in the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Independence of Scotland.
Having inherited large estates in Sussex, as well as lands in Scotland, Richard Fitz-Alan laid claim not only to the possessions of Arundel, but also to the County of Surrey. As a result, he became so rich that King Edward III himself borrowed significant amounts of money from him. Richard's descendants were very wealthy and for a long time remained the wealthiest people in England.
9. Bill Gates - $ 153 billion
Compared to the wealth of other people on the list, Bill Gates boasts $ 79 billion. However, today this is enough to be at the top of the list. "Forbes". Check out the article 10 Billionaire College Dropouts.
As you know, Bill Gates acquired most of his fortune thanks to his enormous success. Microsoft, which he co-founded with Paul Allen. You may be interested in an article by the 10 largest software manufacturers in the world. Although now his cash account has diminished significantly due to numerous charity events, Bill Gates is not short of money.
8. Alan Rufus (Red) - $ 168 billion
Alan Rufus, 1st Duke of Richmond, distant relative of William the Conqueror, was one of the royal confidants during the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
Alan Rufus had 250,000 acres of land. His holdings stretched from Yorkshire all the way to London, including Richmond Castle, and brought him a fabulous income.
Interestingly, Rufus founded the city of Richmond near the castle and received the title of count from William I.
7. Henry Ford - $ 204 billion
Henry Ford, American industrialist who started mass production of automobiles. Check out the 10 most expensive vintage cars.
Thanks to him, the car ceased to be an expensive curiosity, turning into a means of transportation available to many. In addition, he developed a new machine model "Model-T”, Which helped to significantly increase capital in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Most of the money Ford was able to make was through the campaign's local presence in virtually all of North America and in every major city in the world.
It should be noted that most of Henry Ford's fortune was spent on charity... Thus, the Ford Foundation was founded, the purpose of which was to improve the welfare of citizens.
6. Cornelius Vanderbilt - $ 209 billion
Cornelius Vanderbilt, nicknamed "The Commander," has made a fortune from sea and land transportation.
By 1877, Vanderbilt's account was $ 209 billion. However, shortly before his death, the Commander donated $ 1 million, the largest amount at the time, to Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The rest of the fortune was inherited by his children.
5. William I - $ 236 billion
William the Conqueror took over the English throne at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and thereby greatly increased the fortunes of the Norman Empire.
Despite the fact that the king already had extensive holdings in France, in England he applied a strict system of taxation in order to get as much profit as possible from the new lands.
By modern standards, Wilhelm's fortune could be estimated at $ 236 billion.
4. Emperor Nicholas II - $ 271 billion
Tsar Nicholas II ruled the Russian Empire from 1894 to 1917, until the Bolsheviks seized power. During his reign, he not only preserved the inheritance he received from his father, but also significantly increased it..
Nicholas II expanded the borders of the country and increased the treasury by attracting foreign capital. In total, his fortune was estimated at $ 271 billion.
The lion's share of the wealth was lost during the First World War. Both the tsar and Russia were going through hard times, and in 1917 Nicholas II was overthrown from the throne.
3. Jacob Fugger - $ 297 billion
Jacob Fugger is one of the most successful bankers in history, a prominent representative of the German trade empire, as well as the happy owner of an entire fleet and several palaces..
The banker lived in the free imperial city of Augsburg from 1459 to 1525 and was so rich that he was nicknamed Jakob Bogach.
Fugger led an association of German and Italian businessmen, which narrowed huge sums of money to King Charles V. Without this financial support, it would have been very difficult for the monarch to achieve the crown of the Holy Roman Empire. In return, the grateful king granted the banker the title and land.
Surprisingly, despite the high interest rates, Charles V was far from the only monarch who borrowed money from Fugger, but how else can you get rich?
2 Andrew Carnegie - $ 348 billion
People like Andrew Carnegie are said to be “from dirt to Kings". In 1840 he emigrated from Scotland to the United States with his poverty-stricken family.
In America, working as a telegraph operator, Andrew began to invest in the construction of railways, bridges, the development of the oil industry and after a while became the owner of a steel concern in Pittsburgh. However, in 1901, the company was sold for $ 480 million, which is $ 13.6 billion today.
Like many others, Andrew Carnegie spared no expense in charity. He founded a charitable foundation in New York, the Peace Foundation, and also provided financial support to universities in Scotland.
1. John Davison Rockefeller - $ 663 billion
Although John Rockefeller acquired his fortune at the end of the 19th century, he deservedly occupies the first place on this list. Rockefeller earned $ 663 billion thanks to the oil company he founded "Standard Oil Company».
Controlling 90% of America's oil production, John Rockefeller became the first American to earn more than $ 1 billion. He accounted for 1.5% of the country's GDP! Check out 5 interesting facts about John Rockefeller.
At the same time, the richest man in history has been engaged in charitable activities for 40 years.He not only sponsored the University of Chicago and the Rockefeller University he founded, but in 1913 he founded the Rockefeller Foundation, which supports the development of medicine and the arts.
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