DESPITE Jeff Bezos claiming the title as the world's richest man with a net worth of £99bn, he doesn't come close to 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.

6 The 14th Century West African ruler's fortune was so big that his generous gifts crippled economies Credit: Alamy

6 The Great Mosque in Timbuktu is the oldest mosque south of the Sahara Credit: Getty - Contributor

Rudolph Butch Ware, associate professor of history at the University of California, told BBC: "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 to SmartAsset.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.

10 richest people of all time Mansa Musa (1280-1337) - King of the Mali empire, fortune incalculatable Augustus Caesar (63 BC-14 AD) - Roman emperor, £3.5trillion King Solomon (990 BCE - 931 BCE) - King of Israel, £2.2trillion Zhao Xu (1048-1085) - Emperor Shenzong of Song in China, fortune incalculatable Akbar I (1542-1605) - Emperor of India's Mughal dynasty, fortune incalculatable Andrew Carnagie (1835-1919) - Scottish-American industrialist, £285.7billion John D Rockefeller (1839-1937) - American businessman, £261.9billion Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov (1868-1918) - Tsar of Russia, £230billion Mir Osman Ali Khan (1886-1967) - Indian royal, £176.6billion William The Conqueror (1028-1087) - King of England, £176.3billion

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Kathleen Bickford Berzock, who specializes 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."

6 Illustration of Mansa Musa, a devoted Muslim, on his way to Mecca Credit: Getty - Contributor

6 The Sankore Mosque at Timbuktu, commissioned by Mansa Musa Credit: Getty - Contributor

6 Illustration of Mansa Musa, King of Mali on a map of North Africa Credit: Getty - Contributor

6 The wealthy king is also believed to be the one who started the tradition of education in West Africa Credit: Getty - Contributor