Pablo Escobar is a Colombian drug baron, a narcoterrorist, and the leader of the Medellín Cartel. Named 'The King of Cocaine', he became the wealthiest criminal in the world. To understand how powerful he was, one should know that in the 1980s and early 1990s, his drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade in the USA. His cartel was responsible for 80% of the cocaine market worldwide. Unfortunately, there's no clear information on exactly how much money he had. Still, according to Business Insider, Escobar's wealth is estimated to be higher than $30 billion. He was so rich that Forbes included him on the list of ten wealthiest people in the world. To know how he managed to make so much money, here's our article that explains that.

The Beginning

Escobar started his criminal activity in his teenage years. He was selling fake diplomas, falsifying report cards before selling stereo equipment, stealing tombstones to resell them. Later, he was stealing cars, which led to his first arrest in 1974. Nevertheless, it didn't stop him. He was engaged in the 'Marlboro Wars', where he made his name in Colombia's smuggled cigarette market. This experience helped him to become an established drug smuggler. In the mid-1970s, he found a crime organization that eventually became the Medellín cartel.

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The Medellín Cartel

Operated from 1972 to 1993, the cartel was an immensely powerful terrorist-type criminal organization in Medellín, Colombia. They started as a smuggling network, which eventually turned to traffic cocaine in Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Central America, the Bahamas, the USA, and Canada. The Medellín cartel smuggled tons of cocaine which brought $420 a week! It is said that the cartel smuggled over fifteen tons of cocaine each day. Cocaine surpassed coffee which was deemed the be the number one in Colombian export.

Yet, the cartel wasn't engaged solely in narcotraffic. They've been known for using violence for political aims and conducting asymmetric war against the Colombian government. They were bombing, killing, and kidnapping. There's no clear information on how many people were killed, but some sources write that up to four thousand.

The Wealth

As the Medellín cartel made colossal money, its leader became extraordinarily rich. Eventually, Forbes included Escobar in the list of its wealthiest people in the world for seven years. He owned private planes, luxurious houses, and even a prison. He had so much money, so he had to keep in warehouses and fields - it was simply impossible to spend them.

La Catedral, the prison, was built because the Colombian officials allowed him to have in exchange for turning himself to them in 1991. The facility included a nightclub, a waterfall, a soccer field, and a sauna.

Another ownerships Escobar had was Hacienda Nápoles, a now-tourist attraction. It was a luxurious estate that included a complete zoo, a tennis court, a sculpture park, a soccer field, an extensive collection of old and luxury cars. Additionally, it had a private airport, a kart-racing track, artificial lakes, and even a bullring. Today, the estate is owned by the Colombian government.

Here's a fun (or not really) fact about Escobar's zoo. It had two hundred animals: zebras, camels, elephants, ostriches, giraffes, and more. After Escobar's death, the animals were transferred to other zoos, except four hippopotamuses which eventually multiplied into forty by 2016. They harmed farms and frightened the locals. Consequently, the Colombian authorities found a solution by castrating the male hippos to control their population.

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Becoming The Robin Hood

Pablo Escobar became a rich and influential person in Colombia, but he had more ambitions to reach. Escobar was in some way a philanthropist; he expanded social programs for the poor, built hospitals, stadiums, and even sponsored the local soccer teams. This led to him being elected to an alternate seat in the Colombian Congress in 1982. Some sources claim he was dreaming of becoming a president. But he was forced to resign due to his criminal activity. The person who led to that was, unsurprisingly, assassinated.

It was mentioned above that Pablo Escobar was imprisoned in his private prison. He could live longer, but Colombian authorities had to act when they found out about two cartel members who were tortured and killed. But Escobar tried to escape. In 1993, the Colombian authorities, together with US officials and rival drug traffickers, stormed the building he was hiding it and shot him in the roof, where he managed to escape. Some sources believe he killed himself, so even in this situation, it's not clear.

Nevertheless, many Colombians mourned his death, even though the Colombian government was celebrating. Pablo Escobar is still a prominent figure. There's a famous Colombian TV serial, 'El Patron del Mal,' or Netflix series, 'Narcos,' which tells about two American Drug Enforcement agents working on the Escobar case for years.

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Sources: Biography.com, Britannica.com, Businessinsider.com, Wikipedia.com