Here is a list of the 50 wealthiest people in history, adjusting for inflation and the overall context of their times. Some of these figures are estimates, as it's hard to perfectly compare wealth across centuries.
1. Mansa Musa I (1280-1337)
Wealth: Over $400 billion (adjusted)
Source: Ruler of the Mali Empire, gold and salt trade.
2. John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937)
Wealth: Around $340 billion (adjusted)
Source: Standard Oil.
3. Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
Wealth: $310 billion (adjusted)
Source: U.S. Steel Corporation.
4. Emperor Shenzong of Song (1048-1085)
Wealth: Estimated around $280 billion
Source: Emperor of China's Song dynasty.
5. Czar Nicholas II of Russia (1868-1918)
Wealth: $300 billion (adjusted)
Source: Romanov dynasty, imperial wealth.
6. Jakob Fugger (1459-1525)
Wealth: Estimated at $221 billion
Source: Banking, mining.
7. Henry Ford (1863-1947)
Wealth: Around $200 billion
Source: Ford Motor Company.
8. Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877)
Wealth: $185 billion (adjusted)
Source: Railroads, shipping.
9. Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011)
Wealth: $150-200 billion
Source: Libyan dictator, oil wealth.
10. William the Conqueror (1028-1087)
Wealth: $229 billion (adjusted)
Source: Conquest and rulership of England.
11. Osman Ali Khan, Asaf Jah VII (1886-1967)
Wealth: $230 billion
Source: Last Nizam of Hyderabad, India.
12. Augustus Caesar (63 BC-14 AD)
Wealth: $4.6 trillion (relative to empire's GDP)
Source: Emperor of Rome.
13. King Solomon (970-931 BC)
Wealth: Immensely wealthy; accounts place him at modern estimates of several hundred billion.
Source: Israel's ruler, biblical riches, tributes, and mining.
14. David Rockefeller (1915-2017)
Wealth: Estimated at $11 billion (but part of the greater Rockefeller fortune).
Source: Banking, finance, Rockefeller family.
15. Bill Gates (1955-)
Wealth: Around $120 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Microsoft.
16. Warren Buffett (1930-)
Wealth: Around $114 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Berkshire Hathaway.
17. Elon Musk (1971-)
Wealth: Around $250 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Tesla, SpaceX, technology.
18. Jeff Bezos (1964-)
Wealth: Around $150 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Amazon.
19. Lawrence Ellison (1944-)
Wealth: Around $120 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Oracle Corporation.
20. Mark Zuckerberg (1984-)
Wealth: Around $110 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Facebook/Meta.
21. King William I of England (1028-1087)
Wealth: $229 billion (adjusted for conquest and territorial control)
Source: Ruler of England after the Norman Conquest.
22. Mir Osman Ali Khan (1886-1967)
Wealth: $230 billion
Source: Ruler of Hyderabad, extensive jewel and property holdings.
23. Alan Rufus (1040-1093)
Wealth: Estimated at $200 billion (adjusted for time and holdings)
Source: Companion of William the Conqueror, large English landholder.
24. Jay Gould (1836-1892)
Wealth: $70 billion (adjusted)
Source: Railroads, finance.
25. Carlos Slim Helú (1940-)
Wealth: $80-90 billion (2023 estimates)
Source: Telecom, Mexico’s richest person.
26. Genghis Khan (1162-1227)
Wealth: While no specific numbers are available, he controlled the largest contiguous empire in history.
Source: Mongol Empire.
27. Vladimir Putin (1952-)
Wealth: Speculated at around $70-200 billion (though exact figures are debated).
Source: Political power, investments.
28. Stephen Girard (1750-1831)
Wealth: $105 billion (adjusted)
Source: Shipping, banking.
29. John Jacob Astor (1763-1848)
Wealth: $138 billion (adjusted)
Source: Real estate, fur trading.
30. Akbar I (1542-1605)
Wealth: Estimated in trillions, considering the Mughal Empire's wealth.
Source: Emperor of the Mughal Empire, India.
This list contains both historical and modern figures, with adjustments for inflation or GDP relevance where possible. Many of these figures had control over empires or large monopolies, making direct comparisons difficult