Is Bill Gates really rich if he’s worth ‘only’ $85 billion?

LOOKING at the bank statement for our joint account, my wife sighed wistfully and joked it was proof she hadn’t married me for my money!

It’s true that I’m not the richest guy in the world, so I’d like to know who is, Queries Man. – H. It’s not me, either! According to US Business analysts, Bloomberg, the richest person in the world today, with a net worth of $85.5 BILLION, is Bill Gates.

He co-founded the largest computer software company in the world, Microsoft, in 1975.

He stepped down as Microsoft’s CEO in 2008, to concentrate on his charity work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charitable foundation he founded with his wife, Melinda.

Bill Gates has since donated more than $28 billion to charities.

However, he is not even close to being the richest man ever.

The wealthiest American of all time was John D. Rockefeller, who founded Standard Oil in the 19th Century and, in today’s money, was worth $340 billion.

Far and away the richest man ever was Mansa Musa, or Musa I of Mali.

As the emperor of the Mali empire, Musa commanded a fortune worth a jaw-dropping $400 billion in today’s money.

Musa was born in 1280 and lived until 1337 as a devout Muslim, constructing numerous educational centres and mosques across Africa, one of which can still be seen in Timbuktu.

If you have a question, write to The Queries Man, The Sunday Post, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee, DD4 8SL.

Please do not send stamped addressed envelopes as I cannot give personal replies.