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Pablo Escobar: The Story

The Colombian drug lord was born Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, Colombia. He came from a modest family but got himself involved in criminal activities from the earliest age. Escobar acted as a local thief stealing contraband cigarettes and fake lottery tickets, running street scams, and stealing cars. He became known to the underground world during the ‘Marlboro Wars’, having an important role in Colombia’s smuggled cigarette market.

During the ‘70s, Colombia started dominating the cocaine trade because of its geographical location. Pablo Escobar’s net worth was bound to grow when he started developing his cocaine operation in 1975, flying out planes and smuggling drugs in the US. In the beginning, he would earn approximately $500,000 per flight. Escobar quickly seized the control of the cocaine trade, organizing shipments, routes, and distribution networks in South Florida, California, and establishing a transshipment point in the Norman’s Cay island in the Bahamas. Escobar and his partner, Carlos Lehder, purchased the majority of the island to use it as a central smuggling route for the Medellin Cartel.

Pablo Escobar Net Worth: $30 Billion

The Cartel reached its peak in the mid-’80s, shipping 15 tons of cocaine per day. Pablo Escobar’s net worth in 1985 came as a result of the cartel taking control over 80% of the drug smuggling worldwide. The cartel made $420 million per week. Escobar’s business expanded as he began known internationally, reaching to the US, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Spain, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela. His organization was making $26 billion per year.  Pablo Escobar’s net worth in 1989 reached $9 billion, making him the 7th richest person in the world.

Escobar’s rise to prominence didn’t come without casualties. In order to keep the supremacy in the Colombia drug world, Escobar’s hitmen have killed over 600 police officers, and thousands of people, including politicians, other civil servants, journalists, and ordinary citizens. He was also known as the mastermind behind the bombing of the Colombian jetliner which killed over 100 people.

Eventually, Escobar surrendered to Colombian authorities in 1991, in exchange for a reduced sentence and a no-extradition clause. The kingpin was imprisoned in his own luxurious private prison, La Catedral, who had a football pitch, a bar, a jacuzzi, and a waterfall. Before he was moved to a more conventional jail, Pablo Escobar made a well-timed escape. Due to his escape, the United States Joint Special Operations Command trained a special Colombian task force, the Search Bloc, specially created to locate Escobar.

The group of Escobar’s enemies also grew, resulting in a vigilante organization known as Los Pepes. The group was financed by his rivals and former associates aimed to spill blood and vengeance. They executed 300 people close to the drug lord, and the majority of the Cartel property was destroyed. The Search Bloc collaborated with Los Pepes in their efforts to find Escobar, while he was successful in eluding the authorities for 16 months after his escape. However, The Colombian surveillance team eventually found him hiding in Los Olivos, a district in Medellin. In an attempt to escape, Escobar and his bodyguard were killed.

Pablo Escobar Net Worth: $30 Billion

Pablo Escobar’s net worth in 1993, upon his death, was $30 billion. For a comparison, El Chapo’s net worth was incomparably lower, estimated at $2-4 billion. So, in case you wondered who is the richest drug lord in the world, let me tell you that Escobar still holds that position.

But, even after his death, Pablo Escobar’s money remained a mystery. A lot of cash is still hidden in unknown locations. Though his family tried to convert the drug lord’s name into a brand, his son is the only one who doesn’t want to be connected with his father, even changing his name for that purpose. The biggest part of Sebastian Marroquin’s net worth, estimated at $30 million, came from his work as an architect and his two books ‘Sins of my Father’ and ‘Pablo Escobar: My Father’. If he had been alive, Pablo Escobar’s net worth in 2017 would reach $60 billion.

Pablo Escobar Net Worth & Spending Habits

The extravagant spending of the Cocaine King is not a secret. The Cartel is known for spending $2,500 per month on rubber bands. Pablo Escobar’s son also claimed that his father burned $2 million in one occasion to keep his family warm during a run. The notorious smuggler is also famous for his trip to Disneyland which inspired him to conjure his own theme park in Colombia. He bought the 7.7 square-mile estate and named it Hacienda Nápoles. Pablo Escobar’s house had a go-kart track on it, a private airport, and an actual zoo with lions, hippos, giraffes, and elephants. The estate reportedly cost him $63 million. The most infamous drug lord also owned a hideaway mansion on the Caribbean coast of Mexico, on Isla Grande.

Pablo Escobar Net Worth: $30 Billion

While the authorities saw Escobar as their biggest threat, the King of Cocaine was considered as a hero to the poor people of Medellin. In his early years as a drug kingpin, Escobar worked to create goodwill among them. He was associated with building football fields and sports courts, as well as sponsoring several children’s football teams. He established a Robin Hood image for himself, using it to distribute money through housing projects and activities. Some locals respected Escobar so much that even hid him from the authorities.

Pablo Escobar Net Worth: CelebJury Ruling

The most infamous drug lord has turned into a legend, inspiring many books and movies. On his way to becoming a billionaire, Escobar also intrigued the world with his public appearance. Pablo Escobar’s net worth continues to be a controversial subject even two decades after his death. Follow CelebJury for more celebrity net worth articles!