10 Men Who Had Record Marriages in History

Monogamy is a state of having a relationship with only one partner at a time, which is a social norm nowadays. However, when we look back at history, we observe that it hasn’t always been and still isn’t in many places across the globe.

Many ancient societies and religions accepted polygamy as a part of life, with women frequently wed to the same man. The topic itself is very interesting, so we thought we’d fish into the more offbeat side of marriage and love and concoct a list of men who had record marriages in history.

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Marriage Records By Men in History

King Solomon – Former Israel King

Wise King Solomon, of biblical fame, apparently had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, Bible-speak for mistresses. With 1000 women to pick from, it’s surprising that the Bible only records one Naamah, Rehoboam’s mother, Solomon’s successor.

King Solomon holds the record marriages in history. Although He only has 4 children, which are in records.

Fat’h Ali Shah Qajar – Qajar Dynasty Member

Not only did Fat’h Ali Shah Qajar have mad beard-growing skills, but he was also a total ladies’ man. As the second King of Persia, he reigned for 37 years, during which he wed 158 women.

The book Tarikh-e Azodi, written by Soltan Ahmad Mirza Azord-ed-Dowleh, lists every woman. Fat’h Ali Shah Qajar also found time to father 103 children, who went on to give him 786 grandchildren.

Asentus Ogwella Akuku – Kenyan Businessperson

Kenyan man Asentus Ogwella Akuku was married for the first time back in 1939 at the age of seventeen. After five years of assumedly blissful, exciting marriage, he decided to become a polygamist and marry more than 100 women.

Ironically, Asentus Ogwella Akuku divorced 85 wives due to infidelity, and 12 of his wives died. Still, he has around 200 children, birth custom, and founded two elementary schools where they can be educated. He died at the age of 94 in 2010 due to natural causes.

Mohammed Bello Abubakar – Nigerian Islamist Cleric

Nigerian Islamist cleric Mohammed Bello Abubakar apparently managed to collect 120 wives and father 203 children throughout his lifetime. Mohammed claimed that the Quran didn’t actually say the punishment for exceeding the marriage number, so everything was fine; chill out.

Islamic authorities disagreed and tried him before a Sharia court that ordered him to divorce 116 of his wives. After refusing, Mohammed was sentenced to death. Fortunately, he eventually conceded and got a mass divorce in September 2008. If he wouldn’t agree, then possibly he would get the record marriages.

Warren Steed Jeffs – American Cult Leader

Although most of Christianity is largely founded on the idea and principles of monogamy, there is an exception: The Church Of Latter Day Saints, whose followers are known as Mormons. Former president of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints Church, Warren Steed Jeffs, very much agreed with the controversial topic of polygamy.

He is thought to have married 80 women, with whom he had 250 children. In 2002, Warren succeeded his father, Rulon Timpson Jeffs and married almost all of his father’s widows, as one does.

A few years later, in 2007, Warren was forced to step down when the FBI declared him one of their most wanted criminals due to charges of rape, polygamy, tax evasion and kidnapping. He was eventually caught, tried and sentenced to life in prison in 2007.

Rulon Timpson Jeffs – American Cleric

Yup, we’re talking about Warren’s Father. Rulon Timpson Jeffs was alive from 1909 to 2002 and married a total of 65 women. Following his death, he left behind 20 wives and 65 children.

Saleh Al-Sayeri – Saudi Arabian Businessman

Saudi Arabian businessman Saleh Al-Sayeri was first married at fourteen and has since married 58 women over a 50-year period. He is reported to have paid over $1.6 million in wedding expenses and divorce settlements as he divorces his fourth wife every year and gets a new one.

Brigham Young – Former Utah Territory Governor

Brigham Young, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, sure does get a lot of action. He founded Salt Lake City and served as the first governor of the Utah Territory, as well as acting as President of Mormon between 1847 and his death in 1877.

Throughout his 76 years, Brigham managed to marry 56 women, 21 of whom had never been married, 16 widows, 6 divorced, and 6 other husbands. He fathered 57 children with 16 of his wives; however, 10 of them never reached adulthood.

Joseph Smith – American Religious Leader

Finally, of course, we have to include the founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Joseph Smith. It’s believed that ol’Smith married 40 women in his lifetime, aged 14 to 60. For a while, Smith decided to keep his wives a secret. As it took a long time for his first wife to get into the whole ‘plural marriages‘ thing Smith was preaching.

Ziona Chana – Former Leader of Lalpa Kohhran Thar

Lastly, Ziono Channa was the former leader of Lalpa Kohhran Thar, a polygamy marriage preacher sect. Reportedly, He was the head of the world’s largest family of 38 wives, 89 children and 36 grandchildren.

He died in 2021 while he was suffering from hypertension and diabetes. When he was delivered to the Hospital, doctors said he had died on the way from his village to the hospital. He holds the record marriages to date, and no one has yet exceeded the number.