The numbers are based on facts, however, obtained through interviews with ex-cartel members, known associates, and undercover operatives. They raised eyebrows when they were suspected in the death of former cartel pilot turned informant Barry Seal. But in the waning hours of President Barack Obama's term, Guzman was shuttled out of jail near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and onto a plane, emerging on Long Island, where US authorities took him to Manhattan and locked him up in one of the US's most secure facilities. The 1980s also saw an increase in cocaine consumption in the United States, which made Escobar more of a threat to American authorities. The days of Zambada are over, and his sons alone at the top are likely to be the final nail in his coffin. Overall, showrunner Eric Newman told The Hollywood Reporter in 2016 that Narcos is "50-50 when it comes to fiction and nonfiction," but that they stick to an accurate timeline of events. Immortalized in the 2007 Ridley Scott film, American Gangster, where he was portrayed by Denzel Washington, Frank Lucas has claimed he made $1 million USD a day selling heroin on 116th Street in Harlem during the 1970s. In fact, the same official speaking on behalf of the DEA noted that El Chapo was more successful than Escobar himself, saying, "Pablos business in Colombia was based on the exportation of cocaine. Both had tremendous love for their . Blanco's second husband was Alberto Bravo - a known cocaine trafficker. A September 1989 wanted advertisement for Medelln drug cartel leaders Pablo Escobar and Gonzalo Rodriguez. Not only did he supply 80 percent of the worlds cocaine, but he also dipped his toe into politics and even dreamed of becoming the president of Colombia. Though the numbers arent nearly as exact as they could be, most accountants have put Escobars total wealth in the mid-billions, usually around $30-60 billion by 1980s standards. These individuals have a combined net worth of over $300 billion. She graduated from Oberlin College, where she earned a double degree in American History and French. Pablo Escobar, a farmer's son from rural Colombia, and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, a product of Mexico's rugged Sierra Madre mountains, delivered immeasurable amounts of cocaine and other drugs to the world before their reigns came to an end Escobar's in 1993 on a dingy Medellin rooftop and now Guzman's after he was convicted in a New York court and almost certainly faces a life sentence in one of the US's toughest prisons. A timepiece of his own, which he wore, was larger than Escobars entire collection of watches. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Armed men attacked Guzman's mother's home, which is in the kingpin's hometown in Sinaloa. For one, Escobar was far more violent than El Chapo. Carrillo was nicknamed "The Lord of the Skies" and was one of Mexico's top drug traffickers. Griselda Blanco's exploits dismiss that idea. Getty Images / James McGrath/NY Daily News Archive. He has managed to evade capture multiple times, and has even escaped from prison twice. In 1987, his net. Pablo Escobar, pictured with his son Juan Pablo, his daughter Manuela, and his wife Maria Victoria Henao. El Chapo, on the other hand, has been more careful about the lives he takes. There are a few people who are richer than Pablo Escobar. Miamis police chief told a friend that he feared the Colombians were turning Miami into Medelln. He was also incredibly violent, and is thought to have killed over 4,000 people. Rivals challenged the control of Guzman's sons and Zambada, who reportedly joined forces to take over the organization. Pablo Escobar's cocaine empire, by the numbers Considered the wealthiest criminal in history, Pablo Escobar led the largest international drug cartel for decades. In fact, the drug kingpin had an entire zoo at his estate outside of Medelln. During his life, Escobar lived by the mantra of plata o plomo, which roughly translates to silver or lead (bullets), and describes how he used both violence and bribery to get his way. Escobars father, Abel de Jess Dari Escobar Echeverri, was a farmer and a watchman. When Manuela told him she wanted a unicorn for her birthday, Escobar stapled a horn onto a white horse and presented it to her. Some of these people include Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg. Sebastin Marroqun/Sins Of My FatherPablo Escobar, pictured with his son at the White House in 1981. To view this external content, please click here. A cavalcade of witnesses took the stand, including a Colombian narco scion and the son and brother of Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada, a powerful and shadowy figure who was Guzman's peer at the top of the cartel. As a result of their respective reigns, the world was subjected to unthinkable levels of terror and wealth. Pablo had a lot of contact in Mexico in the 1980s we had extensive evidence, we had intercepts of fax traffic, and Amado Carrillo Fuentes, [known as] El Se*or de Los Cielos, was a close friend. The Zetas split is really the first of a series of schisms and fractures in the major cartels organizations that leads to the incredibly prolific violence that we see from 2008 to 2011, said David Shirk, principal investigator at the University of San Diegos Justice in Mexico Project. Though power is more difficult to measure, Escobar wielded a lot of it. In 1976, Frank Lucas was arrested and sentenced to 70 years in prison for his involvement in the heroin smuggling ring. President Jimmy Carter reportedly saw the article and put pressure on the Justice Department to prosecute Barnes to the fullest extent of the law which resulted in a conviction that same year for flooding black neighborhoods with heroin and charges of narcotics racketeering. "Zambada is not in good health so I think his days are numbered," Vigil said. His net worth is estimated to be $30 billion, making him one of the wealthiest criminals in history. Pablo Escobars Medelln Cartel brought in an estimated $70 million a day in the 1980s. How did the drug kingpin manage to do that without getting arrested? Pablo Escobars escape from La Catedral triggered a massive manhunt. Both men have made it onto Forbes World's Billionaires . There's the fact Escobar was way more richer than Gallardo. Predating Pablo Escobar's rise to prominence in Colombia, Blanco was known as "The Godmother of Cocaine" while the would-be "Patron" was still stealing cars in Medellin. Much of what we know about the drug trade through media coverage and shows like Narcos is that it was a boy's club - where women were viewed solely as sexual beings to be pined after which often resulted in feuds like in the case of Nicky Barnes. He was known for buying lavish gifts, literally burning money to keep his daughter warm, and bragging about his deep pockets to everyone he knew. He was captured in January 2016 after evading authorities for six months. Pablo Escobars body following his death on December 2, 1993. While some people may have engaged inunethical business practices, others are even worse, having madebillions of dollars sellingthings like illegal drugs. Drug kingpin Joaqun"El Chapo" Guzmn is escorted to a helicopter at Mexico City's airport on January 8, 2016, following his recapture during an intense military operation in Los Mochis, Mexico. They both rose from relative poverty to lead some of the worlds largest drug cartels. (A high-ranking security official at the prison was from Sinaloa and later became Guzman's right-hand man in the cartel.). After he escaped from La Catedral in July 1992, Escobar was on the run for 16 months. He was considered a hero to the town of Medellin, after using his considerable wealth to build soccer fields, community centers, and homeless shelters. Pablo Escobar was one of the richest people in the world during his time: Escobar's net worth was estimated to be around $30 billion at . Richard Nixon Articles The Richest Drug Dealers of All Time He is also thought to be the biggest drug lord in history, with a fortune estimated to be worth $14 billion. An Exploration Into Bird Eating Habits, The Male Cardinal: An Essential Role In Raising Young, A Diet For Survival: An Insight Into The Dietary Needs Of Baby Plover Birds, The Nutritious Benefits Of Sunflower Seed: A Popular Food Source For Birds, The Benefits Of Peanuts For Wild Birds Knowing When To Stop Feeding Them, Exploring The Unique Process Of Bird Nursing: How Baby Birds Get Their Nutrition, The Consequences Of Feeding Birds Raw Rice, Can Birds Carry Baby Birds? However, his cartel is believed to have a massive international footprint, bringing drugs (including, but not limited to, cocaine) into some countries that Escobar did not have a direct connection with. Pablo Escobar, pictured with his son at the White House in 1981. Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, pictured in 1988. In the 1970s, the Guadalajara Cartel hired El Chapo as a henchman. Exploring The Age-Old Question Of Bird Behavior, Do Birds Eat Baby Frogs? But the question of who killed him is the subject of some debate. The Sinaloa Cartel boss was accused of smuggling more than 200 tons in cocaine into the country, and being involved in dozens of murders. These people have no regard for the law and will do anything they can to make lots of money. These drug lords often sit back and don't even have to get their hands dirty. Former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria, who oversaw Escobar's downfall, has told the world to not to fight drugs with the harsh measures he used, and the country's current president, Ivan Duque, took more concrete steps last month to break with the past, presiding over the demolition of Escobar's home in Medellin. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Escobar allegedly falsified diplomas, took tombstones from graveyards to resell, and stole cars. There are talks that 60 hippos might be shipped to India's Gujarat. During the three-month trial in Brooklyn he was carted back and forth from his cell during the proceedings prosecutors displayed evidence of a sprawling criminal organization that moved massive amounts of drugs, corrupted police and politicians at every level, and meted out brutal violence against rivals and bystanders. Hes given narco tours in Colombia and even founded a holding company called Escobar, Inc. in 2014. The cartel has been detected in Australia, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Their reigns have come to an end, but their reputations for decadence and cruelty endure. Was Pablo Escobar the richest man in the history of the world? According to Atlas Obscura, however, people still sneak onto Hacienda Npoles grounds with a shovel hoping to dig up any money that Escobar hid. With Chapo, he not only has the importation of cocaine, but marijuana, heroin, and methamphetamine, and he is exporting them not only to the U.S. but to Asia and Europe., When he was arrested on charges in 2014, The Washington Post noted, "Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzmn [was] the man who supplied more illegal drugs to the United States than anyone else on Earth.". In conclusion, it is clear that El Chapo is the bigger drug lord than Pablo Escobar. "The Sinaloa cartel is conducting a retribution against Damaso's relatives for the attempted assassination of Mayo and Chapo's sons," said Mike Vigil, former chief of international operations for the DEA. Born into a modest farming family near Medellin in northern Colombia, Escobar started his career with petty crime but soon graduated to smuggling and eventually began carting shipments of marijuana. Buffet isn't as great an investor as RenTech founder Jim Simons but ha Continue Reading Bert Clayton 2023 Knowmorestuff.com All rights reserved. Despite these losses, he made Forbes list of international billionaires for seven years straight, and in 1989, Escobar was listed as the seventh-richest man in the world. While he was back in the same jail from which he had escaped six months earlier, Guzman's legal team filed multiple appeals, and Guzman himself reportedly made overtures about cutting a deal with US authorities. In recent years, Escobar's top hitman has been released from jail and become something of a right-wing political activist in Colombia. Though both her mother and brother have since spoken publicly about their relationship with Pablo Escobar, Manuela has remained out of the spotlight. The Farer Mansfield is a cushion-cased version of the Stanhope II, and it adds elegance and style. Unfortunately, drugs are a huge industry and the Global Commission on Drug Policy has estimated that legalizing drugs would lead to a revenue of more than $45 billion. Aleman has long criticized the US strategy of using force to combat drug trafficking, and has advocated alternative approaches, such as social programs that would help addiction-curbing addicts get help rather than jail. In addition to the small write-off for damages, Escobar also willingly spread his wealth around to the people of Colombia. Can Birds Benefit From Eating Quinoa? These individuals have a combined net worth of over $300 billion. After Escobars death, according to NPR, authorities thought that the hippos would simply die as well. But there are some key differences between them that set them apart. Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion, Jury Selection and Timeline For El Chapo's Trial, El Chapo's Sons Manage His Billion-Dollar Drug Empire, 'El Chapo' Rival Extradited to U.S. as Key Witness.