Mansa Musa, the richest man of all time.

The 14th-century King of Mali’s fortune was so big that his generous gifts could cripple economies.

Rudolph Butch Ware, associate professor of history at the University of California, toldBBC: “Contemporary accounts of Musa’s wealth are so breathless that it’s almost impossible to get a sense of just how wealthy and powerful he truly was.”

Musa was born in 1280 into a ruler family, where his brother, Mansa Abu-Bakr, ruled the empire until 1312.

When Abu-Bakr failed to return from an ocean expedition, Musa inherited the throne of the gold-rich kingdom.

Kathleen Bickford Berzock, who specialises in African art at the Block Museum of Art at the Northwestern University, told BBC: “As the ruler, Mansa Musa had almost unlimited access to the most highly valued source of wealth in the medieval world.

“Major trading centres that traded in gold and other goods were also in his territory, and he garnered wealth from this trade.”

Mali grew significantly as Musa annexed 24 cities, including Timbuktu.

Mali accounted for almost half of the Old World’s gold, and all of it belonged to Mansa Musa.

Economic historians say it is impossible to establish the correct translation of his fortune.

PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA

Musa was a devoted Muslim who decided to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca, passing through the Sahara Desert and Egypt.

His visit left in Cairo left a very memorable impression and many have since recounted how highly the public spoke of the wealthy king, including al-Umari, who visited the city 12 years after Musa.

Mansa Musa generously gifted gold in Cairo during his three-month stay, consequently causing the price of gold to plummet for ten whole years, crippling Egypt’s economy.

The ruler’s pilgrimage led to £1.1bn of economic losses across the Middle East due to the markdown of gold, according toSmartAsset.com.

He reportedly left Mali with a caravan of 60,000 men.

The wealthy king is also believed to be the one who started the tradition of education in West Africa.

The ruler funded literature and built schools, libraries and mosques, in addition to encouraging arts and architecture.

When he was heading back home, he passed through Egypt and tried helping the country’s economy by removing some of the gold from circulation by borrowing it back at extortionate interest.

He later returned to Mecca with several scholars, including direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad and an Andalusian poet, whom he paid 200kg in gold, which is worth £6.3million today