12. The longest-reigning monarch of the Byzantine Empire, Basil II accrued an incalculable fortune through successful wars and trading relations with his European partners.
Basil II, also known as the Bulgar Slayer, reigned as the Byzantine Emperor from 976 until his death in 1025. The son of Emperor Romanos II, the early years of Basil’s prolonged reign were plagued by civil war and political intrigue. Finally instilling order and peace in 989, Basil focused his attentions on the expansion of the eastern frontier of his empire. Subjugating the Bulgarian Empire, the militaristic and aggressive emperor also launched wars against the Fatimid Caliphate and the Khazar Khaganate, winning large parts of Crimea and Georgia. Despite these warlike propensities, Basil also demonstrated an effective administrative capacity.
Leading the Christianization of the Kievan Rus’, including wedding his sister to Vladimir I of Kiev, Basil instituted the famed Varangian Guard as his personal elite corps. Reforming the Byzantine Empire to restrict the power of the noble houses, Basil amassed an enormous royal treasury to support his endeavors. Leaving the Byzantine Empire at its largest and strongest in centuries, Basil personally negotiated a treaty with the Doge of Venice to ensure the empire’s financial stability and future. Upon his death, Basil’s annual revenue was estimated to surpass 200,000 pounds of gold and his personal wealth equated to $169,000,000,000.