Elon Musk is the richest person in the world, and he recently ranked first on the super-billionaires index!
Recently, the increasing number of billionaires has led to the creation of a special category called “super-billionaires” which includes individuals with a net worth of $50 billion or more.
Modern billionaires like Musk and Bill Gates are considered extremely wealthy but their combined fortunes are nothing compared to the immense wealth of a historical Chinese emperor.
Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in China's history was also the wealthiest woman ever.
During her rule in the Tang Dynasty, China held a significant share of the global economy and her fortune when adjusted for today’s value would be an astonishing £12 trillion, as per Express UK.
Related: Elon Musk tops ‘super-billionaires’ list with jaw-dropping net worth
Even if you combine Musk's £339 billion and Gates' £83 billion net worth, their total wealth still falls £11 trillion short of Empress Wu's estimated fortune in today’s terms.
Wu, born in 624 AD in Shanxi Province, came from a wealthy family with strong imperial connections.
She entered Emperor Taizong’s palace at 14 as a secretary where she gained political knowledge and experience.
After Taizong’s death, she became a concubine of his son, Emperor Gaozong.
As per the reports, she first ruled indirectly through others before forcing her son to step down and officially taking the throne herself and ruled China for 15 years, from 690 to 705.
