When considering the wealthiest individuals in the world, names like Elon Musk, Louis Vuitton owner Arnold Bernault, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani often come to mind. However, history reveals individuals who were far richer than those mentioned above, and one such figure was Empress Wu of China.
Reportedly, Empress Wu held the title of the richest woman of her time, with some historians asserting that she remains the wealthiest woman to have ever lived on Earth. Her estimated net worth was staggering, amounting to USD 16 trillion, surpassing the combined net worth of Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Jeff Bezos, Adani, and others.
Belonging to the Tang dynasty, Empress Wu's wealth surpassed that of Elon Musk, whose net worth stands at around USD 229 billion, Jeff Bezos with USD 174 billion, and India's wealthiest individual, Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of around USD 106.2 billion.
Historians describe Empress Wu as a highly astute monarch who employed various strategies to maintain her grip on power. Some reports even suggest that she went to the extent of eliminating her children to secure her position. Her reign, spanning approximately 15 years, saw the expansion of the Chinese empire into Central Asia. The Chinese economy flourished during her rule, marked by significant growth in the trade of tea and silk, as documented by The China Project.
Empress Wu's opulent and regal lifestyle has been depicted in numerous films and TV shows, with one such TV series being "Empress of China," featuring Fan Bingbing.
