As the race to become the world's first trillionaire hots up it's tempting to think extreme wealth is a modern phenomenon. But the fortunes of some historical figures are comparable to – or in some cases actually dwarf – the net worths of Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, and other 21st-century billionaires.
From 19th-century American industrialists to the African king who once owned half the world's gold, we reveal the peak net worths of the richest people in history, as guesstimated by economists and historians and with figures adjusted for inflation.
All dollar amounts in US dollars