I once presented a documentary for Italian television declaring that Jakob Fugger – Fugger the Rich – was the richest man in history. He was a German who made his fortune in the 16th century through gold and copper mines, lending money to kings and popes and, above all, selling absolution.
By the time he died his net worth was equivalent to nearly 2.5% of European GDP, or half a trillion dollars in today’s money.
But, according to the internet (and we all know the internet is never wrong) there was someone
