Mansa Musa’s Legendary Hajj: 60,000 Followers & Endless Gold

As part of new regulations for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, Saudi Arabia has prohibited children from traveling with pilgrims. The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said that this is aimed at protecting children from the dangers of stampedes during the yearly pilgrimage that attracts millions of worshippers. Did you know of the person who went to Mecca with more than a hundred camels laden with gold, twelve thousand servants, and a caravan consisting of sixty thousand slaves? The narrative remains that he brought with himself around eighteen tonnes of gold, which is outrageous, especially when we consider the fact that this Gold amounted close to $957 million in 2022. Read the detailed story. His name was…

Africa was home to the most powerful ruler of the Mali Empire, Mansa Musa. The empire during his ruling controlled regions of modern-day Mali, Guinea, Senegal, Niger and Mauritania. Having been born in 1280 AD and taking up the throne in 1312 AD, Mansa Musa is certainly one of the richest people ever. A notable event of the empire’s history was marked by him becoming the ninth ruler of the empire and earning fame for his massive riches and astonishing governance. Adjusted to current times, Mansa Musa’s net worth would come out to $400 billion dollars, destroying the records set by present-day billionaires.

Mansa Musa fortified his empire using techniques that resemble current-day economic methods. He controlled an important trade route and gained huge revenue for the kingdom. According to a report by TV9 Hindi, gold and salt were the prime commodities of trade during his reign, and the empire's important trade route linked the Mediterranean, Arab world, and other markets. “By controlling this golden route, the Mali Empire took advantage of its geopolitical position, charged customs duties and greatly increased the wealth of the kingdom.”Additional Accounting Mansa Musa was the richest Islamic individual in the world, benefitting from huge amounts of salt and gold. Before going to Makkah for Hajj, he traveled with… 60,000 people, 12,000 attendants, a wealth of gold, and countless camels. He sure looks stunning in the eyes of a modern day spy. The king of the Mali Empire certainly knows how to show off his power. After dominating the empire for a decade, Mansa Musa’s first stop on his pilgrimage was Mecca and historians claim he was accompanied by over 60,000 enslaved people and 12,000 attendants, a sight that would certainly shock many. With their enormous waists, large quantities of gold could surely get these camels strutting.

What stood out most in the procession was the 500 slaves who carried gold bars as well as the camels which were loaded with gold. A report by Michael A. Gomez, who is a professor at New York University and a West Africa historian, says that the amount of gold Mansa Musa took on his Hajj pilgrimage was well over 18 tons, as per his report to TV9 Hindi.  

Mansa Musa is considered to be the wealthiest person ever to walk the Earth. Some sources claim that his wealth is greater than the top billionaires today which include Mukesh Ambani, Elon Musk, Adani and Tata.