The Breakfast Club - IDKMYDE: Lifestyles Of The Rich and African

Episode Date: February 23, 2024

On this episode of #IDKMYDE, Get ready to uncover the astonishing story of the wealthiest king you've probably never heard of! We're diving into the legendary tale of this African ruler who lived in the 1300s. Picture this: a kingdom so rich that its king, decided to build a swimming pool for his favorite wife...in the middle of the desert!. Join us as we explore the life and times of this enigmatic figure, and discover why he's often hailed as one of the richest kings in history. IG: @_idkmyde_ | @BdahtTV | @blackeffectSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On today's episode of I Didn't Know,

maybe you didn't either. Story goes, he was so rich and he loved one of his wives so much that he had her a swimming pool built in the middle of the desert. I didn't know. Maybe you didn't. I didn't know. Maybe you didn't. I didn't know. Maybe you didn't. I didn't know. I didn't know. I didn't know. Mansa Musa. Now, usually I share black history that's intrigued me from the transatlantic slave trade to the civil rights movement. But whenever I'm talking about wealth, there is one name that always comes up. So I had to look him up. Mansa Musa. Now, he lived in the 1300s. That's 700 years ago. That's 1300 CE, the common era. You remember when all we had was AD and BC? To be quite honest, my brain can't really fathom

CE, BC, AD. All them letters just make me think of the PD and then that kick in my PTSD and now I need a BC. But if I can believe in the Old Testament and Noah building an ark and getting two of every animal and Jonah being eaten by a whale, I can damn sure believe in Mansa Musa. I mean, he's too heavily documented. Mansa Musa of Mali, not the narcotic, the kingdom in Africa. He ruled Mali from 1312 to 1337, 25 years. Now he came to power when the previous king had dipped off with a large fleet of ships. They went to go explore the Atlantic Ocean and explore they did, but they never returned. Mali was already wealthy, but Mansa Musa's work with expanding trade made Mali the wealthiest

kingdom in Africa. They got their riches from mining salt and gold deposits in Mali. And elephant ivory was a major source of wealth. He was an African man of Muslim faith. But I'm going to tell you what's disappointing. There is no movie on Mansa Musa's pilgrimage in 1324 CE. Like he legit shut the continent down. 1324, a caravan of about 60,000 people all left the capital of Mali, headed to the holy city of Mecca. It was 4,000 miles away. That's further than walking from North Carolina to California. Now, until this pilgrimage, the kingdom of Amalek was relatively unknown outside of West Africa. The Arab writers of the time said that he traveled with an entourage

of tens of thousands of people and dozens of camels, each carrying 300 pounds of gold. 300 pounds of gold is like $9 million. This man had dozens of camels, all carrying $9 million in gold. They said he got to Cairo and met with the Sultan of Egypt, and his squad spent and gave away so much gold that the overall value of gold decreased in Egypt for the next 12 years. After he returned from Mecca, that's when he began to revitalize the cities in his own kingdom by building mosques and large public buildings. That was Timbuktu. That became a major Islamic university city during the 14th century

due to his developments. And then the reputation of the Mali kingdom grew. Mansa Musa died in 1337, and he's arguably the richest king that ever lived. In today's money, they say he was worth about $400 billion. Oh, the wife. He had four wives, and they said one was his favorite because she was the most beautiful, but she came to miss her nightly swims in the Niger. So Mansa Musa had her a swimming pool built in the middle of the Sahara Desert. And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. I didn't know.

As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace for yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before.

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.