How much money does a person have to have to be considered wealthy in today's society? What dollar amount makes a person wealthy is up for debate, there is one indisputable fact: Mansa Musa, a Black man, was and still is the richest man to walk the face of the earth.
Musa's wealth stemmed from the vast natural resources of the Mali land, the largest producer of salt and gold. When he made his 4,000-mile pilgrimage to Mecca, his entourage consisted of 80 camels, each bearing 300 lbs of gold, and 60,000 men, each carrying 4 lbs of gold. Along the route, Musa and his men passed out so much gold that it broke the economy.
Neighboring nations were so impressed by his generosity that cartographers drew Musa on the Catalan Atlas. He's also known for his devotion to Islam. He had architects build a new mosque every Friday at each stop on their journey.
Many scholars point to Mansa Musa's display of wealth as the initial reason Europeans became attracted to Africa's resources. This proposed interest resulted in Europeans controlling most of Africa's gold, depleting the continent of its wealth.
Mansa Musa created a vast empire through his generosity and faith. Beyond his extravagant wealth, the story of Musa is a reminder that Black history is rich, plentiful and should always be amplified.