The Generosity Of This Man Was So Great, It Bankrupted Nations
Black History Year
PushBlack
4.6 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 14 March 2023
⏱️ 3 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The ruler of the 14th-century Mali empire, this Black man is considered the wealthiest person in the history of the world. His estimated net worth was $400 billion. But that wasn’t what made him rich.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The ruler of the 14th century Mali empire, this black man is considered the richest person in the history of the world. |
| 0:10.0 | His estimated net worth was $400 billion, but that wasn't what made him rich. |
| 0:19.0 | This is Two Minute Black History, what you didn't learn in school. |
| 0:31.0 | How much money does a person have to have to be considered wealthy in today's society? |
| 0:38.0 | The dollar amount that makes a person wealthy is up for debate, but there is one indisputable fact. |
| 0:47.0 | Mansa Musa, a black man, was and still is the richest man to walk the face of the earth. |
| 1:01.0 | Musa's wealth stemmed from the vast natural resources of the Mali land, the largest producer of salt and gold. |
| 1:14.0 | When he made his 4,000 mile pilgrimage to Mecca, his entourage consisted of 80 camels, each bearing 300 pounds of gold, and 60,000 men each carrying 4 pounds of gold. |
| 1:30.0 | Along the route, Musa and his men passed out so much gold that it broke the economy. |
| 1:37.0 | Neighboring nations were so impressed by his generosity that cartographers drew Musa on the Catalan Atlas. |
| 1:47.0 | He's also known for his devotion to Islam. |
| 1:50.0 | He had architects build a new mosque every Friday at each stop on their journey. |
| 1:59.0 | Many scholars point to Mansa Musa's display of wealth as the initial reason Europeans became attracted to Africa's resources. |
| 2:09.0 | This proposed interest resulted in Europeans controlling most of Africa's gold, depleting the continent of its wealth. |
| 2:18.0 | Mansa Musa created a vast empire through his generosity and fame. |
| 2:24.0 | Beyond his extravagant wealth, the story of Musa is a reminder that black history is rich, plentiful, and should always be amplified. |
| 2:36.0 | In order to move towards the future, you've got to look to the past. |
| 2:42.0 | This has been Two Minute Black History, a podcast by Push Black. |
| 2:46.0 | Show your support by sharing this episode on your social media and join us in amplifying stories we all deserve to know. |
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