The 10 Most Infamous Megalomaniacs Ever

Top 10 Biggest Megalomaniacs Ever

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at people who saw themselves as saviors, emperors, or gods. These megalomaniacs believed themselves destined to reshape the world in their image, no matter the cost. While Silicon Valley has its contenders (you know who you are), we're focusing on political leaders.

#10: Enver Hoxha (1908-85)

When it came to paranoia and control, Albania’s longtime dictator made Orwell look like an optimist. Enver Hoxha ruled with an iron fist for over 40 years. In that time, he turned the tiny Balkan nation into an isolated communist fortress. He cut ties with allies one by one - including the Soviets and even Maoist China. He believed only he could chart Albania’s path. Obsessed with invasion, he ordered the construction of over 170,000 concrete bunkers. They were scattered across the countryside like concrete mushrooms. His cult of personality was so intense, children were taught to see him as a kind of father-god figure. Hoxha turned an entire isolated nation into his own private cult.

#9: Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908)

From concubine to kingmaker, Empress Dowager Cixi ruled China with iron resolve for nearly half a century. She handpicked her nephew as emperor, sidelined reformers, and steered China headfirst into the Boxer Rebellion. Desperate to preserve her grip on power, she declared war on several foreign nations. Despite blocking radical reforms, she eventually saw the writing on the wall. When it was too late, she embraced measured modernization through the New Policies. She soon sabotaged her own belated attempt to stabilize a crumbling dynasty. The moment progress was inconvenient, she famously diverted navy funds to rebuild the Summer Palace’s Marble Boat. In Cixi’s world, the people were just ungrateful peons.

#8: Baron Roman von Ungern-Sternberg (1886–1921)

Baron von Ungern-Sternberg isn’t in most history textbooks, but “The Mad Baron” was so brutal he made Genghis Khan look downright restrained. A Baltic German noble and tsarist diehard, Ungern-Sternberg seized Ulaanbaatar in 1921. There, he declared himself the reincarnated “God of War.” He ruled through mysticism, terror, and monarchist fantasy. The Mad Baron purged Bolsheviks, Jews, and even his own officers. His Asiatic Cavalry enforced fear with fanatic loyalty, and rumors of his divine fate only fed the madness. But within a year, his reign collapsed. Captured and executed by Soviet forces, Ungern-Sternberg remains a cautionary tale of what happens when power meets delusion.

#7: The Kim Dynasty (1948-)

North Korea frequently horrifies the world with nuclear saber-rattling. The scariest thing is how little anyone can do about it. The Hermit Kingdom is a cult-state armed with missiles. The Kim family dynasty has ruled it through iron-fisted mythology. For over seventy years, three successive Kims - Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un - have styled themselves as living gods. Their portraits hang in every home. Children learn reverent hymns to the Kims before they can read. The state enforces the Ten Principles of the One-Ideology System, demanding absolute loyalty to the ruling bloodline. Propaganda is inescapable. The country is full of murals and monuments. There are even mandatory lapel pins now bearing Kim Jong Un’s face.

#6: Mao Zedong (1893–1976)

When Mao led the Communist Revolution, he tried to remake Chinese reality in his image. After proclaiming himself the “Great Helmsman,” he launched the Great Leap Forward. His government forced peasants to melt their tools and grow crops in backyards. When predictable famine followed, he refused to accept fault. Up to 45 million died, while he dined on fresh fish delivered daily by a private supply chain. In the Cultural Revolution, he pitted students against teachers. His Little Red Book was treated like scripture, and his legend grew. Mao reportedly cleaned his teeth with tea and refused to bathe, believing his body cleaned itself. His face was everywhere: propaganda posters, statues, and billboards. For Mao, loyalty wasn't enough. He demanded adoration.

#5: Joseph Stalin (1878–1953)

To much of the Western world, "The Man of Steel" will always be Superman. In the Soviet Union, it was Joseph Stalin. The Soviet Premier was no ordinary leader. After crushing competitors like Lenin and Trotsky, he created a cult of personality powerful enough to bend history. His face loomed over parades and haunted textbooks. He even found his way into children's bedtime stories. Stalin's purges were legendary, filled with elaborate show trials. He sent millions to die in gulags. Under his reign, an estimated 6 to 9 million people perished through executions, famine, and forced labor. But to hear Soviet propaganda tell it, he was a wise, infallible father to his people.

#4: Saparmurat Niyazov, a.k.a. Türkmenbaşy (1940–2006)

One common trait of self-absorbed leaders? They love slapping their names on everything. No one did it on a wilder scale than Saparmurat Niyazov, better known as Türkmenbaşy. After declaring himself president for life of Turkmenistan, he turned the country into a shrine to his ego. He renamed cities, airports - even the month of January - after himself. The capital was dotted with golden statues, including one that rotated to face the sun. His spiritual-political manifesto, the Ruhnama, became required reading in schools and a holy text at mosques. He banned opera, lip-syncing, long hair, and even dogs in the capital. In a final act of absurdity, he ordered a giant ice palace built in the desert. Why let physics get in the way of ego?

#3: Adolf Hitler (1889–1945)

History’s most infamous dictator was also one of its most deluded. Adolf Hitler didn’t just want to conquer nations: he wanted to reshape humanity. He styled himself a messianic figure. Obsessed with racial “purity,” he believed he’d usher in a thousand-year empire. His face appeared on coins, posters, and classroom walls. Schoolchildren saluted his name. He micromanaged German culture, stamping his influence on everything from sports to architecture and film. Fueled by paranoia and fascinated by the occult, he trusted astrologers more than generals. His thirst for domination cost millions their lives. In the end, the man who saw himself as Germany’s savior left it in ruins.

#2: Genghis Khan (c1162–1227)

Born as Temüjin, Genghis Khan decided at a young age that he would etch his name into the world. He united the Mongol tribes and launched a campaign of conquest that reshaped entire continents. His empire would become the largest contiguous land empire in history, stretching from Korea to the Caspian Sea. He believed it was his divine right to rule, and his enemies paid the price: entire cities were razed, populations wiped out. He killed so many people, it reportedly cooled the climate. Yet, he saw himself as a civilizer—spreading trade, law, and even postal systems across his empire. His legacy lives on today - a 2003 genetic study found that he had over 16 million living descendants.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.

Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte (1769–1821)

The Self-Anointed French Ruler Controlled His Own Press to Craft a Legend Fit for an Emperor

Saddam Hussein (1937–2006)

The Dictator Filled Iraq with Statues, Murals, & Even Qurans Written in His Own Blood

Donald Trump (1946-)

The Reality Star Led with Lies & Crowned Himself America’s Greatest President

Muammar Gaddafi (1942-2011)

Libya’s Self-Declared “King of Kings” Ruled with Delusions as Vast as the Desert

Julius Caesar (100–44 BCE)

He Named a Month After Himself and Made “Dictator for Life” Sound Like a Reasonable Job

#1: Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE)

He conquered the known world, and then wept because there were no more worlds to conquer. Alexander of Macedon was possibly the greatest military mind in history. His victories led him to believe himself a god. By age 30, he had toppled the Persian Empire and marched to the edge of India. It wasn’t enough. He named over 20 cities after himself and one after his horse. He demanded divine honors, called himself a son of Zeus, and fused Greek and Persian customs in a bid to rule as a living deity. His megalomania was so intense, even his generals grew afraid. Alexander died young, but not before burning his name into the fabric of human civilization forever.

From emperors to ego-trippers, let us know who you think should’ve made the list of history’s greatest megalomaniacs.