the richest man in the world who ever lived
List of wealthiest historical figures Excluding monarchs and autocrats, the wealthiest private individual in the history of capitalism is variously identified as Jakob Fugger (died 1525), of the early modern Fugger family of merchants and bankers,[4] and early 20th-century American entrepreneurs Andrew Carnegie (died 1919)[5] and John D. Rockefeller (died 1937). Frequently, one of these few people is considered to be the richest person of all time, depending on source.
The World's Billionaires In 2018, there was a record of 2,208 people on the list, that included 259 newcomers mostly from China and the U.S.; there were 63 people under 40 and it had a record number of 256 women.[2] The average net worth of the list came in at US$4.1 billion, up US$350 million from 2017. Added together, the total net worth for 2018's billionaires was US$9.1 trillion, up from US$7.67 trillion in 2017.[2][5][6] As of 2018[update], Microsoft founder Bill Gates has topped the list 18 of the past 24 years, while Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is ranked at the top for the first time and he became the first to reach the $100 billion mark.[5]