Did researchers associated with Harvard University create a 3D model of Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire? No, that's not true: This image does not show a forensic and digital reconstruction of Mansa Musa. It is a rendering of Kanye West. This joke is a variation of an online theme that has circulated for years, presenting the likeness of Hulk Hogan as Moses, and the likeness of Taylor Swift as the first woman in the Bible, Eve.
The image of a 3D model appeared in a post (archived here) published on Instagram by the verified account of @essence on Jan. 13, 2026. The caption begins:
Recent 3D models of Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire, are offering a new visual interpretation of one of history's most influential African leaders.
The rendering was created by researchers and artists affiliated with Harvard University, the models are based on medieval accounts, alongside modern forensic and digital reconstruction techniques.
This is one of three images of a 3D model which are included in the post:
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot from instagram.com/essence/p/DTd2GOOAVoR.)
The caption continued:
While not an exact likeness or photograph, the models aim to reflect how Mansa Musa may have appeared based on historical records.
Mansa Musa is widely regarded as the wealthiest individual in recorded history, with estimates placing his fortune at the modern equivalent of more than $400 billion.
His famed pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324 drew international attention, while his investments in architecture and education particularly in Timbuktu and the Sankoré Madrasah, cemented his enduring cultural and intellectual legacy.
ESSIES, what do you think of this 3-D rendering?
A Google search (archived here) for the key words, "Harvard University" AND "3D model" AND "Mansa Musa" did not find any results pointing to scholarly origins, only duplicate copies of the joke. One example, a Facebook post (archived here) from Jan. 1, 2026 predates the @essence post.
Lead Stories found a 2009 photo of Kanye West on Wikimedia Commons (archived here) and made a GIF showing the similarity to the 3D rendering.
(Image Source: Lead Stories GIF from screenshots from instagram.com/essence/p/DTd2GOOAVoR and commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kanye_West_at_the_2009_Tribeca_Film_Festival_(crop_2).jpg .)
The theme of this joke has surfaced online in the past. On Jan. 27, 2023 Snopes published a fact check (archived here) titled, "No, This is Not a 3D Recreation of What Moses Might Have Looked Like". The debunk focused on a 3D rendering that resembles Hulk Hogan (pictured below).
(Image source: Lead Stories screenshot from x.com/orlamamabear/status/1618137586861735936.)
A similar edition of this joke was fact checked by Snopes (archived here) on May 6, 2024. This time the 3D model was purported to show the Biblical Eve but showed a rendering of the likeness of Taylor Swift (pictured below).
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot from x.com/XHabib/status/1786814879455711702.)
