Who was the richest person ever, or if that cannot be determined, from say 1800 - Present? Would it still be Bill Gates even after adjusting for inflation?
Yea, but money is so shallow.
I think I am the richest person ever because I have heart!
Leave me alone, the OP has been answered!
Michael Klepper and Robert Gunther wrote a book called The Wealthy 100 about the 100 richest men in American history. They based their rankings on what percentage of the nation’s money the person held during his peak year. Rockefeller came first on the list.
I guess it’s pretty well known that Scrooge McDuck is certainly the world’s richest duck, having beaten Flintheart Glomgold in two competitive contests. See Who’s richer, Bill Gates or Scrooge McDuck?
Kudos to a fellow Carl Banks fanatic.
For the record, Flintheart Glomgold is the best character name in the history of creativity.
Aw, you’re just too modest, EXAPNO MAPCASE.
Where did he rank Cornelius Vanderbilt? I’ve seen Vanderbilt quoted as the all-time richest on the same basis. He was a couple generations before Rockefeller, and I would imagine that it would depend on how you chose to measure the total wealth of the nation. Vanderbilt was worth $105 million at his death in 1877, nowhere near what John D. was worth, but he lived before the Gilded Age, when economic expansion, and the resultant fortunes, exploded (1878-1889, according to a quick google check).
I think that’s interesting, and is analagous to the comment I had in mind. Though they may not have had (or needed!) currency, rulers like the pharaohs could get whatever they wanted anyway. What do you mean by ‘rich’, though?
You might enjoy this link to the results of that survey http://www.eh.net/atp/answers/0721.php
Vanderbilt was 3rd.
The most surprising thing(to me, anyway) was the unfamiliarity of many of the names.
Would it were mine. :o