Last Updated on December 8, 2022
Pablo Escobar. Chances are you’ve heard that name, but most likely never in good accounts. That’s because he was one of the most controversial people in Colombia’s history. Not just in Colombia but South America and the United States of America. As the head of the Medellin Cartel, he was responsible for most of the cocaine smuggled into the US in the 1980s.
During his reign of terror, Escobar was responsible for countless murders, bombings, and other atrocities. He was finally captured and killed by Colombian security forces in 1993.
Despite his brutal crimes, Escobar remains a folk hero to many in Colombia. In this article, we will take a look at the facts about Pablo Escobar – one of the most infamous drug lords in history.
Who Was Pablo Escobar?
Pablo Escobar was a Colombian drug lord born into a poor family. But he managed to become one of the richest and most powerful men in the world.
He was the head of the MedellÃn Cartel, which was the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world. The cartel controlled up to 80% of the global cocaine market. Can you believe that?
Escobar was one of the most violent and ruthless criminals in history. He was making so much money that he was unable to spend it all. Pablo Escobar’s net worth is estimated to have been around $30 billion. He was responsible for the murder of thousands of people, including civilians, police officers, and politicians. There were also a few terrorist attacks in his long list of crimes.
Despite his violent and criminal activities, Escobar was also a Robin Hood-like figure in Colombia. He was known for his philanthropy and support of the poor.
There are not many people in history with so many movies made about them, especially one who lived a life of crime!
Pablo Escobar’s Death
Pablo Escobar, the most notorious druglord in history, died in a shootout with Colombian security forces on December 2, 1993. He was 44. His death marked the end of an era in the global narcotics trade.
At the height of his power, Escobar controlled an empire that included more than 2,500 square miles of territory in Colombia and had an annual turnover of over $20 billion. He was responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, including policemen, judges, politicians, and journalists. He was also implicated in the murder of a Colombian presidential candidate.
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What Happened to Pablo Escobar’s Family After His Death?
Pablo Escobar’s family was haunted by his legacy. His wife, Maria Victoria Henao, changed her name and fled Colombia with their two children after Escobar’s death. Thereafter, she lived in Argentina under the name of Tania Mendoza. Pablo Escobar’s brother, Roberto Escobar, also spoke about the family’s struggles.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Roberto Escobar spoke about how his brother’s actions have affected the family. “My brother was a very bad man,” he said. But he was also a father and a husband.” Roberto also spoke about how the family had been trying to move on from Pablo’s legacy. “We are not gangsters,” he said. “We are a normal family.”
Pablo Escobar’s son, Sebastian Marroquin, denounced his father’s activities and took a different path in life. He became a successful architect and has written a book about his father’s life.
Pablo Escobar’s daughter, Manuela Escobar, also denounced her father’s activities. She runs a foundation that helps children in Colombia.
Pablo Escobar’s Properties
In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the life and times of Pablo Escobar. The Colombian drug lord was one of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century. And his story has been the subject of many books, movies, and TV shows. These include Narcos (2015), Blow (2001), Paradise Lost (2014), Infiltrator (2015), Loving Pablo (2017), and Pablo Escobar, The Drug Lord (2012).
One of the fascinating aspects of Escobar’s story was his vast real estate empire. At the height of his power, Escobar owned more than 500 properties across Colombia. These properties ranged from hotels and apartments to ranches and Islands.
After his death in 1993, his family fled Colombia, and his assets were seized by the government.
In the years since then, Escobar’s property has been left abandoned and in disrepair. However, there has been a new interest in these properties in recent years, as they have become tourist destinations for those curious about the life of a notorious drug kingpin.
Facts About Pablo Escobar
No matter how frequently you’ve heard or come across the story of Pablo Escobar, there would still be probably one or two things you don’t know about him. This is why we have gathered some facts about him. Here are some facts to know about Pablo Escobar:
His Criminal Tendencies Started at a Young Age
Escobar, the son of a farmer and a teacher, started committing crimes while he was still a teenager. Some stories claim that his initial criminal business venture was the sale of fraudulent certificates. He later began to forge report cards before moving on to smuggling stereo equipment and stealing gravestones to sell. Escobar also committed auto theft, which led to his first arrest in 1974.
Soon after, he established himself as a drug smuggler. And by the middle of the 1970s, he had helped in the founding of the criminal group that later became the Medellin cartel.
Pablo Escobar Lived an Extreme Lavish Lifestyle
You can’t blame him, can you? What else would you do with all that money?
When it was at its most powerful, the Medellin cartel controlled the cocaine trade and earned an estimated $420 million a week. Holy moly! Of course, this made its boss one of the richest people on earth. Pablo Escobar had a claimed net worth of $30 billion, which allowed him to spend freely.
Private jets, expensive residences, and extravagant events were all part of his extravagant lifestyle. He reportedly offered to pay off the $10 billion debt owed by his country in the late 1980s in exchange for being spared extradition. This makes you wonder if he was worth more than the reported net worth of $30 billion.
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Too Much Money for Pablo Escobar to Spend
If you haven’t heard about it, this will shock you. Escobar allegedly burnt $2 million to keep his daughter warm in 1992–1993 when his family was on the run.
Pablo Escobar was unable to spend all of that money, and much of it was kept in fields and warehouses. His brother said that every year, 10%, or $2.1 billion, was lost because it was eaten by rats or destroyed by weather. Sometimes, money was even misplaced!
He Acquired Several Highly Expensive Properties
Escobar owned many luxurious residences, but his most famous home was the 7,000-acre estate known as Hacienda Nápoles. It was situated between Bogotá and Medellin and was named after Naples, Italy. It reportedly cost $63 million and featured a soccer field, dinosaur statues, man-made lakes, a bullring, the burned-out ruins of a rival cartel’s classic car collection, an airfield, a tennis court, and a zoo.
The estate was later taken over by locals and is now a well-liked tourist hotspot. The entrance gate of the estate is topped by the jet he used on his first heroin run to the United States.
Pablo Escobar Had Exotic Pets Such as Giraffes, Hippopotamus, and Elephants
When the money overflowed, and problems seemed solved, Escobar took things to the next level. Pablo Escobar started to collect exotic animals such as hippos, giraffes, antelope, ostriches, and elephants as pets.
His magnificent colonial estate, the Hacienda Napoles, which was spread across 5,000 acres, housed his homegrown zoo. It also featured a private airfield, sports center, and motorsport track. Many of the exotic animals were relocated after his death because maintaining the zoo was too expensive.
However, 24 of his hippos broke free and chose to relocate to the river that surrounded the central Colombian property. There, they have since multiplied. They are currently the largest group of wild hippos outside of Africa, and they even had a National Geographic documentary about them called Cocaine Hippos.
He Rewarded His Pilots Handsomely
The logistics of smuggling 15 grams of cocaine every day—roughly the weight of two African elephants—can be a real hassle. Pablo Escobar himself flew the initial shipments between Panama and Colombia. Then, with the use of a variety of aircraft, including a Learjet, he was able to transport his cocaine directly to the United States. Pilots heading to the United States would have their aircraft tires stuffed with cocaine. Then, the jet would carry additional money for the cartel so it wouldn’t return home empty.
After the work has been delivered, Escobar would then pay well or maybe with extra goodies if they worked exceptionally well. One trip might reward a pilot up to $500,000 or more.
He Bribed Officials and Killed Those Who Proved Stubborn
Another technique he employed involved soaking pants in liquid cocaine, lawfully exporting them, and then removing the drug from one side. Officials were bought off, and those who refused were killed. Although he was revered by many, he is said to have caused almost 4,000 murders.
Pablo Escobar Served His Sentence in a Luxurious Prison With a Spa
It’s never fun to go to jail. But imagine being incarcerated on your own terms! That was how powerful Pablo Escobar was.
Pablo Escobar negotiated an agreement with Colombian authorities over the course of six months in 1991 while constantly being chased after. He agreed to serve a five-year prison sentence, but only if the prison was constructed to his specifications nearby his home. The terms were accepted because his actions were already giving the Colombian government political difficulties.
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