Quick Facts

The founder and only boss of the Medellin Cartel was Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria, better known as Pablo Escobar, a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist. He started out stealing automobiles, and by the time he was done, his cocaine empire was worth more than $30 billion. He was regarded as the most egregious, powerful, and wealthy drug trafficker in the business’s history. Also, He established the “Medellin Cartel” in cooperation with other criminals to transport cocaine to the American market.

Pablo Escobar and the “Medellin Cartel” shipped more than 80% of the cocaine trafficked into the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s, enjoying a near monopoly in the industry. In order to realize a childhood dream of having COL $1 million by the time he was 22, he started working for Alvaro Prieto, a drug smuggler who operated near Medellin. As a member of the Liberal Alternative groups, Escobar was also chosen to serve as an alternate in the Colombian House of Representatives during the 1982 parliamentary election.

How much was the Net worth of Pablo Escobar?

At the time of his death (1993), Pablo Escobar had a net worth of $30 million, which would be $64 billion in 2021. His specific compensation had not yet been made public. According to Forbes magazine, Escobar had a personal net worth of about US$3 billion ($6.4 billion in 2021 dollars), making him one of the 227 billionaires in the world in 1989.

For several million dollars, he bought 20 square kilometers (7.7 square miles) of land in Antioquia, where he later constructed the Hacienda Napoles. He built his family and the cartel a mansion with a zoo, a lake, a sculpture garden, a private bullring, and other amusements. His work as a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist was also his main source of income.

Early Years: Which nation did Pablo Escobar belong to?

Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria, Pablo Escobar’s real name, was born on December 1st, 1949 in Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia. He was of Colombian descent and of the white Colombian race. He was also Caucasian, and he practiced Christianity. In 1993, Pablo turned 44 for the final time, and according to his birthdate, he was a Sagittarius. He was the third of seven kids born to farmer Abel de Jesus Dari Escobar Echeverri (1910–2001) and elementary school teacher Hermilda de Los Dolores Gaviria Berrio (d. 2006). He had six siblings as well.

What was the Professional Career of Pablo Escobar?

Pablo Escobar began his career as a contraband smuggler for Alvaro Prieto, who operated in the Medellin area. After that, he developed his cocaine enterprise and began flying out planes frequently, primarily between Colombia and Panama. In May 1976, as Escobar and a few of his men were attempting to travel back to Medellin from Ecuador with a large load, they were stopped and discovered to be in possession of 18 kilos (39 lb) of white paste. Later, he collaborated with cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder to create a new trans-shipment location in the Bahamas on the island of Norman’s Cay, which is located about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southeast of Florida.

The majority of the land on the island, which served as the Medellin Cartel’s main smuggling route, was bought by Escobar and Robert Vesco. He was chosen in 1982 to serve as an alternate member of the Colombian House of Representatives and served as the country’s official representative at Felipe Gonzalez’s oath-taking ceremony in Spain. His drug network swiftly gained popularity, and the Medellin Cartel quickly came to dominate the drugs entering the United States, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and Spain.

More on Career

After the demand for more and better cocaine developed, he also began working with Roberto Suarez Gomez. It is also said that Escobar supported the 1985 invasion of the Colombian Supreme Court by left-wing rebels from the 19th of April Movement, also known as M-19. In the end, the government was able to bargain with Escobar and persuade him to turn himself in and stop all criminal activity in exchange for a lighter sentence and special care while he was being held. Through his connections, he was able to learn about the scheme beforehand and pull off a successful escape.

As a result, the conflict between Escobar and the governments of Colombia and the United States dragged on, and as the number of Escobar’s foes increased, a vigilante group known as “Los Pepes” was formed. There are claims that this cooperation was mostly done through intelligence sharing to help “Los Pepes” eliminate Escobar and his few remaining allies, but there are also claims that some specific Search Bloc members actively took part in “Los Pepes” death squad activities. Additionally, in 2007 there were two significant Escobar feature films announced: “Escobar” (2009) and “Killing Pablo” (2011). E-40, an American rapper, paid tribute to Pablo Escobar’s memory in his 2013 song “Pablo.”

Books – About Pablo Escobar

A number of books have also been written about Pablo Escobar, including the ones listed below.

• Escobar (2010)
• My Brother – Pablo Escobar
• Kings of Cocaine (1989)
• Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World’s Greatest Outlaw (2001)
• Pablo Escobar: My Father (2016)
• Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar (2017)

Aftermath of Pablo Escobar death

Following Pablo Escobar’s death and the subsequent dissolution of the Medellin Cartel, the rival Cali Cartel took control of the cocaine market until the mid-1990s, when its leaders were either assassinated or taken prisoner by the Colombian government. On July 4, 2006, Attorney General Mario Iguaran accepted Virginia Vallejo’s testimony in the trial of former Senator Alberto Santofimio, who was charged with conspiracy in the 1989 assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan.

Allejo was a television anchor who had a romantic relationship with Escobar from 1983 to 1987. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) transported Vallejo to the US on a special flight on July 18, 2008. After Escobar’s death, the government granted low-income families access to the ranch, zoo, and castle at Hacienda Napoles through a law called Extinción de Dominio.

Who was the spouse of Pablo Escobar?

Escobar was a married man. In March 1976, he wed Maria Victoria Henao, a 15-year-old. The Henao family forbade the connection because they thought Escobar was a social outcast, so the couple eloped. Juan Pablo (now Sebastian Marroquin) and Manuela were their two children. The two had a wonderful friendship up to Pablo’s passing. He was straight in terms of his sexuality.

What was Pablo Escobar’s height?

With a healthy body weight of 75 kg, Pablo Escobar had an ideal height of 1.67 m. He had dark brown eyes and black hair. Furthermore, Pablo had a typical body type.

Trivia