Buzz
Pablo Escobar was not only a feared criminal mastermind but also a devoted family man and a generous benefactor to the poor. In just under 20 years, he rose from being the head of the Medellin Cartel to becoming a figure of legend, known by titles such as Don Pablo, El Padrino (“The Godfather”), and El Zar de la Cocaina (“The Tsar of Cocaine”).
Escobar’s cocaine empire earned him an estimated fortune of $30 billion by the early 1990s, making him one of the wealthiest individuals globally. He truly earned his title as the King of Cocaine, and the following are some of the most mind-blowing facts about his unimaginable wealth.
10. From Humble Beginnings to Extreme Wealth
Pablo Emilio Escobar was born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, located in Colombia’s Antioquia Department. As the third of seven children, he grew up as a quiet and introspective child. His older brother, Roberto Escobar, remembered him as someone who was often lost in deep thought, remarking, “My brother was always thinking.”
The future cocaine mogul was born during La Violencia, a brutal civil conflict in Colombia that raged from 1948 to 1958 between the Colombian Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party, claiming the lives of 200,000 people. The families who endured this tragedy were left grappling with extreme poverty.
Escobar was determined to improve his life and began to make his own money. His first venture involved selling old tombstones, which he stole from neglected graves, removed the names, and resold them. It wasn’t long before Escobar realized that the cocaine trade held much greater profit, prompting him to start building his own criminal empire.
9. His Cartel Dominated 80 Percent of the Cocaine Supply in the U.S.
The Medellin Cartel was a collective operation involving Pablo Escobar, Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha, Carlos Lehder, Jorge Luis Ochoa, and Juan Matta-Ballesteros. But Escobar was always at the helm. As former U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agent Javier Pena recalled, “Escobar was the CEO, very charismatic, very powerful, very demanding.” Those who opposed him met a brutal fate. Escobar’s infamous phrase “Plata o plomo”—“Take my silver or take my lead”—captured his deadly approach to business.
By the late 1980s, the demand for cocaine in the U.S. had grown so immense that it surpassed the demand for coffee. The cartel was smuggling over 15 tons of cocaine into the U.S. every day. Their fleet had grown vast, consisting of 142 planes, 20 helicopters, 32 yachts, and 141 homes and offices. At the peak of his power, four out of every five lines of cocaine snorted in the U.S. were supplied by Escobar’s cartel.
8. They Spent $2,500 Every Month Just on Rubber Bands to Keep the Cash Together
In the 1980s, Escobar’s cartel raked in an estimated $420 million each week, totaling approximately $22 billion annually. Managing that massive fortune fell to his brother, Roberto Escobar. Roberto later revealed that the cartel spent around $2,500 every month simply on rubber bands to bundle the endless stacks of cash.
Escobar took on the role of a modern-day Robin Hood in certain parts of Colombia. He used his vast fortune to build entire neighborhoods, schools, and hospitals, and paid for medical care for the less fortunate. Many saw him as a hero. The drug lord also became a major patron of Medellin’s Atletico Nacional soccer team, funding the club and attending games. After his death in 1993, over 20,000 people gathered at his cemetery in Medellin, feeling that his legacy had profoundly impacted their lives.
7. He Was on Forbes’s Billionaire List for Seven Consecutive Years
In 1987, Forbes magazine released its first list of the world's top 100 billionaires, which included Pablo Escobar. With Escobar holding a 40% stake in the Medellin Cartel and Jorge Luis Ochoa-Vasquez sharing a 30% stake with his brothers, they were the only two Colombians to make the cut. Their fortune, entirely tax-free, gave them a significant edge in the race for wealth. Forbes estimated Escobar’s net worth in 1987 at more than $2 billion.
Despite facing three federal charges in the U.S. for cocaine trafficking, money laundering, and contract killings, Escobar managed to stay on Forbes’s billionaire list for seven consecutive years. In the initial issue that featured him, Forbes described Escobar as: “A husky 5-foot-6-inch man normally given to rugby shirts, chino pants, and sneakers, Escobar is a prime example of a Colombian paisa—an aggressive, unsentimental country hustler.” In 1993, when Escobar made his last appearance on the list, Forbes speculated, “We suspect that, as with his fellow drug lords the Ochoa brothers (now in prison), Escobar will soon be leaving this list. Perhaps, this earth.”
6. He Was Unbothered by Losing $2 Billion in Cash
In every industry, losses are inevitable—even in the cocaine business. However, Escobar’s losses were on an entirely different scale, as described by his brother and accountant Roberto in Pablo’s biography. Roberto recounted, “Pablo was earning so much that each year we would write off 10% of the money because rats would eat it in storage, it would be damaged by water, or simply lost.” That amounted to nearly $2 billion wasted on rodents.
Escobar entrusted his vast fortune to his older brother, but this trust would soon prove misplaced. According to The New York Times, five different forces ultimately brought down the cocaine kingpin: the Cali Cartel, Los PEPES (People Persecuted by Pablo Escobar), the Colombian and U.S. governments, and even his own brother, Roberto. Escobar’s son, Sebastian Marroquin, recalled in his book Pablo Escobar: My Father: “My uncle Roberto Escobar, the official informant of the DEA, actively contributed to delivering him to his enemies.”
5. His Estate Was Home to Pet Hippos, Giraffes, and Elephants
When money is no longer a concern, the opportunities to indulge are endless. Pablo Escobar began collecting rare and exotic animals, such as hippos, giraffes, antelope, ostriches, and elephants. These animals were housed in a private zoo on his lavish estate, Hacienda Napoles, which also featured a private airport, bullring, and a kart-racing track, spread over 5,000 acres.
After his passing, the expenses of maintaining the zoo became unsustainable, and many of the animals were relocated. However, 24 of his hippos managed to escape and found their way to the nearby river surrounding the estate. Over time, their population has grown, and they now make up the largest wild hippo population outside Africa. Their story even became the subject of a National Geographic documentary titled Cocaine Hippos.
4. He Paid His Pilots $500,000 for Just One Flight
Smuggling 15 tons of cocaine a day (about the same weight as two African elephants) was no small task. The first shipments were flown by Escobar himself between Colombia and Panama. Later, with a fleet of planes, including a Learjet, he managed to get his cocaine straight into the United States. The jet would never return empty; it would be packed with millions in cash for the cartel.
Working for Escobar was a lucrative job. Pilots making trips to the U.S. had their plane tires loaded with cocaine, and a single trip could earn them as much as $500,000. Another method he used involved soaking jeans in liquid cocaine, legally exporting them, and then extracting the drug on the other side. Officials were bribed, and those who couldn't be bribed were killed. While he was seen as a hero by many, he is believed to have been responsible for around 4,000 deaths.
3. His Fortune is Still Hidden Somewhere
On December 2, 1993, after being on the run for 16 months, Pablo Escobar was killed in a shootout on a rooftop with members of the National Police of Colombia. To this day, the fate of his vast fortune remains a mystery. His wealth was divided into four categories—obvious assets like cash, cars, and houses; immediately hidden assets in caves or secret compartments in his homes; remotely hidden assets laundered through foreign banks and businesses; and completely lost assets, hidden beyond reach.
The Colombian government was able to recover $100 million worth of Escobar's hidden riches, including pure gold, barrels of cash, jewels, and weapons. Former DEA agents believe there is still more than $1.3 billion buried somewhere in Colombia, with only Escobar’s cartel members and the drug lord himself knowing its exact location. Sonar and digging technology have been used to search for the missing cash, but a vast fortune still remains lost.
2. He Served Time in His Personal Luxury Prison with a Spa
In 1991, faced with relentless pursuit, Pablo Escobar negotiated a deal with Colombian officials over a span of six months. His agreement was to serve a five-year prison sentence, but with a condition: the prison would be constructed to his exact preferences, and it would be located near his family’s residence. The deal was accepted as the Colombian government was already under immense political strain due to his actions.
Escobar's custom-built prison became known as 'Club Medellin' (among other names). It featured a jacuzzi spa, a soccer field, a nightclub, and a private bar. The prison even had phone and fax lines, enabling him to stay connected with his dwindling empire. This 'prison' was tailored to Escobar’s needs, allowing him to avoid both death threats and extradition to the U.S. His infamous motto was: 'Better a grave in Colombia than a cell in the U.S.'
In 1992, the Colombian government decided to relocate Escobar to a military facility. During the transfer, a shoot-out broke out between Colombian soldiers and Escobar's associates, ultimately allowing Escobar and his gang to escape through the mountains. Once again, the law had failed to capture him.
1. He Once Burned $2 Million to Keep His Daughter Warm
One of the most outrageous tales about Pablo Escobar and his immense wealth involves him burning $2 million to keep his daughter warm. Sebastian Marroquin, his son, shared with Don Juan magazine that during their time on the run from federal agents, Escobar would blindfold his family, place them in a car, and drive them to a new hideout. This way, if any family member was caught, they wouldn't be able to disclose their location. Escobar's deep paranoia stemmed from his greatest fear—spending the rest of his life in an American prison.
According to Sebastian, while they were hiding out in the Medellin mountains, his younger sister Manuela fell severely ill with hypothermia. One morning, seeing her in a critical state, Escobar took two bags filled with $2 million and used the money to start a bonfire, warming her up in the process and ensuring her recovery.
