Mansa Musa
Called the wealthiest individual in history, Mansa Musa was a Muslim African king who famously gave so much to charity that he inadvertently caused an economic depression.
[Mansa Musa I]
Musa I (c. 1280-c. 1337) of the Keita Dynasty was the Mansa (ruler) of the Mali Empire. Based in West Africa, the Mali Empire was a large country that stretched from the Atlantic Ocean, along the Niger River nearly to Algeria.
Mali was a very rich country due to its natural reserves of gold, copper, and salt and its status as a trade kingdom. Accurate quantification in a way that is comparable with modern economies is impossible, but as far as such a claim can be made about a historical figure, Mansa Mesa was the wealthiest individual in history because Mali was the largest producer of gold.
Between 1324 and 1325, Mansa Musa performed the hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca. Making a trip of 2,700 miles with a procession of 60,000 men and 80 camels. His entourage carried bags filled with gold dust which is gave freely to the poor, used to build mosques, and bought souvenirs. As a result, gold was devalued and the economy saw a ten-year recession as prices became seriously inflated. Musa attempted to correct this error by borrowing all his gold back at a high interest rate to remove gold from the market.
Beyond being rich, Mansa Musa was a popular king. He expanded his empire, conquering 24 cities, encouraging education and construction throughout the Niger Delta, and traded with people from all over the known world--Egypt, Hausaland, Venice, Granada, Spain. Many European countries put Mali on their maps for the first time in Musa's time as Mansa, despite the Mali Empire existing for over 100 years previously.
[University of Sankoré]
Of particular note is the University of Sankoré in Timbuktu. Established by Mansa Musa as a mosque and library, it became the seat of learning in the Muslim world and the largest collection of books in Africa since the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.
