8 of the richest dictators in history

What happens when you are an autonomous entity who happens to be in the middle of prime infrastructure and oil deals? What if there were no checks and balances or a system that ensures public funds land where they should? What if you were given unlimited political authority with no elected bodies to report to? This would make you a dictator. You could choose to be a benevolent dictator or a selfish one. Most dictators, past and present, chose the latter.

Gallery View:8 of the richest dictators in history
CLOSE

1 - 8 of 8

1 of 8 photos

previous next

Muammar Gaddafi

When the assets of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his kin were frozen in March 2011, some of the numbers that came out were astonishing. The U.S. had seized $30 billion of the family's investments. Canada had frozen $2.4 billion, Austria had frozen $1.7 billion and the U.K. had frozen $1 billion. It was reported that these figures were nowhere close to the actuals. Over his 42-year reign, Gaddafi was said to have amassed
... more
Muammar Gaddafi

When the assets of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his kin were frozen in March 2011, some of the numbers that came out were astonishing. The U.S. had seized $30 billion of the family's investments. Canada had frozen $2.4 billion, Austria had frozen $1.7 billion and the U.K. had frozen $1 billion. It was reported that these figures were nowhere close to the actuals. Over his 42-year reign, Gaddafi was said to have amassed $75 to $80 billion.
less

Thu 27 Sep, 2012 3:30 PM IST

You Might Like »

Most Popular

Fastest-growing brands in the world
Heineken is one of several beer brands that saw big gains in the last year. Read on to … More » Fastest-growing brands in the world
20 most valuable brands of 2013
The idea of branding can often seem buzzword-y, but as Millward Brown's 8th annual … More » 20 most valuable brands of 2013
Stay in the sky: high-altitude hotels
Sky-scraping hotels in cities like Shanghai, Dubai, and Singapore boast hotel rooms 100 … More » Stay in the sky: high-altitude hotels
10 high-school dropout millionaires
Tumblr co-founder David Karp, 26, just sold his blogging platform to Yahoo! for $1.1 billion. … More » 10 high-school dropout millionaires
6 trends evident in Bloomberg Billionaires Index
The Bloomberg … More » 6 trends evident in Bloomberg Billionaires Index
Canada's best car deals: May 16
Each week, Yahoo! Autos Canada and Unhaggle.com team up to bring you the best new cars … More » Canada's best car deals: May 16
9 richest billionaires of 2013
Bill Gates reclaimed his title as the world's richest man, according to the More » 9 richest billionaires of 2013
6 creepiest clothing company scandals
Clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch has not scored a lot of points with the cool … More » 6 creepiest clothing company scandals
Tiny, cute, and revolutionary
A tiny revolutionary fold-up car designed in Spain's Basque country as the answer … More » Tiny, cute, and revolutionary
10 people who rule the world
In their May/June 2013 "Power Issue," Foreign … More » 10 people who rule the world
Canada's best car deals: May 2
Each week, Yahoo! Autos Canada and Unhaggle.com team up to bring you the best new cars … More » Canada's best car deals: May 2
World's most expensive jewelry on auction
Christie's is auctioning off some of the world's most rare and precious jewelry … More » World's most expensive jewelry on auction
Canadians react to new, "cartoony" $5, $10 notes
The Bank of Canada has unveiled its latest plastic bank notes this week — but documents … More » Canadians react to new, "cartoony" $5, $10 notes
Canada's best car deals: April 25
Each week, Yahoo! Autos Canada and Unhaggle.com team up to bring you the best new cars … More » Canada's best car deals: April 25
Roll like a celebrity
When you think celebrities and cars, keep your mind clean of unfortunate Britney limousine … More » Roll like a celebrity
World's most honest people
Denmark, Finland and New Zealand are leaders when it comes to the world’s least corrupt … More » World's most honest people
World's 10 ugliest buildings
From Thailand to Toronto and both American Washingtons--these 10 office towers and … More » World's 10 ugliest buildings
Canada's best car deals: April 18
Each week, Yahoo! Autos Canada and Unhaggle.com team up to bring you the best new cars … More » Canada's best car deals: April 18
Canada's best car deals: April 11
This week, it's all about hybrids. … More » Canada's best car deals: April 11
Google's Street View equipment
As Google continues to expand to new locations documented in its Street View service, … More » Google's Street View equipment

Today on Yahoo!