the richest man in the world who ever lived
List of wealthiest historical figures Excluding monarchs and autocrats, the wealthiest private individual in the history of capitalism is variously identified as Jakob Fugger (died 1525), of the early modern Fugger family of merchants and bankers,[4] and early 20th-century American entrepreneurs Andrew Carnegie (died 1919)[5] and John D. Rockefeller (died 1937). Frequently, one of these few people is considered to be the richest person of all time, depending on source.