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The woman controlled more money and resources than any individual in recorded history.
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are some of the richest people on the planet (Image: Getty)
When people talk about the world’s wealthiest figures, the focus normally falls on today’s billionaires. Elon Musk is often described as the richest man alive, and Donald Trump’s fortune has surged again in recent years. Vladimir Putin is also believed by many experts to be one of the richest individuals on the planet. But even when all three fortunes are added together, they still fall far short of one woman who lived more than 1,300 years ago.
Her wealth was so massive that no modern business leader or political figure comes anywhere close. Historians say she controlled more money and resources than any individual in recorded history. But before revealing who she was, it’s worth looking at the people she is being compared to.
Elon Musk recently became the first person ever valued at more than $600 billion (Image: Getty)
According to Forbes, Trump’s net worth currently stands at around $7.3 billion.
Musk’s fortune has risen sharply too in recent years. His stake in SpaceX helped push his estimated wealth to $677 billion, making him the first person ever valued at more than $600 billion.
Putin’s official income tells a very different story. The Kremlin lists his annual salary at just $140,000, along with modest assets such as an 800-square-foot apartment and three cars.
But many analysts say this does not reflect his real net worth at all. Financier Bill Browder, once the largest foreign investor in Russia, has estimated that Putin’s true wealth could be as high as $200 billion.
He told the US Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017 that Putin built this fortune by taking shares of assets from Russia’s oligarchs after political crackdowns.
The wealth of Empress Wu Zetian is unmatched (Image: Getty)
Yet even these enormous sums are tiny compared with the wealth of Empress Wu Zetian, the first and only female emperor in China’s history.
According to the South China Morning Post, her personal fortune in today’s value would equal around £12 trillion.
During her rule in the Tang Dynasty, China controlled roughly 23% of the world’s entire economy.
Wu Zetian was born in 624AD into a well-connected family in Shanxi Province. She entered the imperial palace at age 14 and later rose to prominence under Emperor Gaozong.
She then declared herself emperor in 690 AD and ruled China directly for 15 years.
Empress Wu's personal fortune in today’s value would equal around £12 trillion (Image: Getty)
Historians say that she ruled with an iron fist, but also led to multiple reforms in the country.
Many historical accounts mention political purges and brutal tactics, but she also strengthened the civil service, promoted education and implemented changes that boosted China’s economy.
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By the time of her death in 705AD at the age of 81, she became the richest woman the world has ever seen to this day.
And even combining the estimated fortunes of Musk, Trump and Putin still leaves a gap of more than £11 trillion.
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