Whenever there is talk of the richest person in the world, usually names like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos or Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani come to the fore, but in history there has also been a woman whose wealth makes all the billionaires of today look very small. This woman was Empress Wu of China, who is considered to be the richest woman in the world till date.
According to media reports and historical studies, Empress Wu’s net worth is estimated at approximately US$16 trillion. In today’s times, this amount is much more than adding up the wealth of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and other big industrialists. This is the reason why she is called the richest female emperor in history.
The reign of Empress Wu was associated with the Tang Dynasty
Empress Wu was from the Tang Dynasty of China and ruled for about 15 years. According to Money.com and other historical sources, she was not only the richest woman, but also considered to be the only female emperor of China. During his reign, China expanded its empire to Central Asia.
Allegations of cruelty and conspiracies for power
According to historians, Empress Wu was a very cunning and harsh ruler. Many reports have claimed that in order to remain in power, he got his own family members, even children, killed. It is said that after the king’s health deteriorated, the entire rule came into his hands and after this he crushed every voice of opposition. He is also accused of killing about 12 members of the royal family in 684 AD. He created a strong network of informers and secret police throughout the country, through which people were punished even on the slightest suspicion of rebellion.
Empress Wu is also known for helping the poor.
Although on one hand he is considered a cruel ruler, on the other hand many people also call him a well-wisher of the poor. It is believed that he launched many schemes to help the poor and made administrative reforms. For this reason, his image in history has been that of a simultaneously harsh and kind ruler.
Empress Wu was an educated and far-sighted ruler.
Empress Wu was highly educated and had a deep understanding of governance. During his period, there was tremendous growth in the trade of tea and silk, which greatly benefited the Chinese economy. Many books, films and TV series have been made on her life, including the famous TV series Empress of China.
Comparison with today’s billionaires
Today, Elon Musk’s net worth is estimated to be around $235 billion, while Jeff Bezos’s net worth is estimated to be around $150 billion. At the same time, Empress Wu’s wealth was many times more than all these put together. This is why her name will always be recorded in history as the richest woman in the world.
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