The Golden Ruler

To wrap your mind around Musa’s vast wealth, consider this: Today Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is one of the world’s richest people. His fortune is worth over $200 billion. In today’s money, Mansa Musa’s fortune would be more than twice that.

What was the secret of his success? For starters, luck. Musa was never supposed to be emperor. But, as Musa told it, Mali’s previous ruler asked him to look after the kingdom while he was off exploring the Atlantic Ocean. When the emperor mysteriously vanished at sea, Musa, then a young man, was named his successor. He took the throne in 1312.

An ambitious leader, Musa quickly began expanding his empire. From Mali’s location on the upper Niger River, he sent his armies south to seize valuable gold mines. Then his forces moved north to claim the Sahara’s vast salt deposits. People needed the mineral not only to flavor food but also to preserve meat. (They didn’t have refrigerators in the 1300s!)

In addition to these precious resources, Musa soon controlled key trade routes—and money started pouring in. Merchants paid him taxes to do business in Mali. His empire’s gold and salt were sold across North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. And leaders of lands Musa had conquered sent him gifts (mostly more gold) to get on his good side.

The religion of Islam played an important role in Musa’s life—and in cementing his influence around the world. In 1324, he embarked on a hajj. That’s the traditional Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in what is now Saudi Arabia.

Musa set out on a 4,000-mile trip across the scorching Sahara desert and through major cities, like Cairo in Egypt. No expense was spared. Every place he stopped, Musa handed out gifts. He gave away an estimated $200 million worth of gold to the poor and sick, as well as to local leaders. By showing off his fabulous wealth, he made the Mali Empire famous.

Indeed, thanks to Musa’s trip, people as far away as Europe and Asia were talking about Mali. Musa became an international celebrity.

After he returned from his travels, Musa felt inspired to make his empire even better. He focused on turning the Malian city of Timbuktu into a center of education and religion. He founded a university there and constructed a mosque large enough to hold 2,000 people, which still stands today.

But Mali’s golden era wouldn’t last long. After a prosperous and stable 25-year reign, Musa died in 1337 at around age 55. One of his sons took over the throne, but neither he nor the rulers who followed had Musa’s leadership skills. Cities like Timbuktu fell to invaders, and by 1500, most of the Mali Empire and its wealth had vanished.

Still, thanks to Musa, the kingdom was not forgotten. He put Mali on the map—literally. When the most important map of the medieval world, the Catalan Atlas, was published in 1375, it prominently featured Mali and its most famous ruler.

He was shown wearing a crown of (you guessed it!) brilliant gold.