Pharaoh Khufu – Old Kingdom, 4th Dynasty
Khufu, Snefru’s son witnessed the mistakes made in Snefru’s quest for the perfect pyramid. He also decided to try one. To this end, when he became Pharaoh in his early 20s, one of his first orders of business was to build the tomb to usher him into the afterlife. He selected the Giza site and built a workforce of skilled engineers and laborers. His pyramid was a raging success, and ensured Khufu’s name would stand out among ancient Egyptian rulers. Although targeted with a smear campaign by ancient Greek historians, who referred to him as Cheops, Khufu was known as a rather good ruler who was decent to the people he worked with, an overall good nature and an interest in “the nature of human existence and magic.” Egypt prospered under his rule, maintained peace with other nations, and he’s often credited with expanding Egypt’s borders into Sinai.