Pablo Escobar Net Worth – How Much Was the Colombian Drug Lord Worth?

Have you watched Narcos that’s streaming on Netflix? If yes, chances are that you are well aware of whom Pablo Escobar is. Despite the kind of fame he gained, he died at a very early age when he was 44 years old.

Being one of the leading Colombian drug lords, Pablo Escobar died as a billionaire with an estimated net worth of $30 billion. He was known for operating “The Medellin Drug Cartel,” which is considered one of the biggest drug cartels to date. During the peak of their career, the cartel was contributing to around 80% of the cocaine in the global market.

This article will further look into Pablo Escobar’s early life, his career, and his net worth too if you have been curious until now.

Quick Facts

Early Life

Pablo Escobar was born on December 01, 1949 in Rionegro, Colombia. He was named Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria at birth and grew up alongside his seven siblings. He was born in a humble family where his father worked as a farmer and his mother worked as a teacher.

Despite being born in Rionegro, Pablo was raised in Medellin, which is where he started his drug cartel. However, his career didn’t start with drugs. Instead, he used to sell gravestones to the local salespeople there. 

After his formal school education, Pablo enrolled in Universidad Autonoma Latinoamericana for a limited period but didn’t graduate. During that period, he was instead focusing on expanding his business in the backend with Oscar Benel. He was even charged with kidnapping during that period.

Personal Life

Pablo Escobar was married to Maria Victoria Henao in 1976. However, the couple tied the knot when Maria was 15 and Pablo was 26. They had two children together but their relationship was initially looked down upon due to the age difference. There are rumors that Pablo engaged in illicit affairs while being married.

Career

Unlike other people around him, Pablo’s career wasn’t surrounded by the normal growth of things. Instead, his career was centered on criminal activities. His biggest criminal operation, “Medellin Cartel” was what contributed to his growth and led him to become a billionaire before he died.

Pablo operated the majority of his drug cartel business through Learjet and helicopters from Colombia. He spread his drug career through Colombia, the United States, and even Panama. He started his drug operation by buying cocaine paste, which he refined in-house. From there, he would hire registered pilots to help him smuggle the drugs.

He was operating his drug business during the 80s when there was a heightened demand for cocaine. During that period, Pablo’s drug cartel was also dominating 80% of the cocaine market. He was racking up $240 million per week during that period.

With the vehement popularity that he gained from there, Pablo brought in millions and skyrocketed his net worth to $30 billion. However, while he was progressing in his drug campaigns, he was also helping out the Medellin citizens by introducing development in the area. He was touted as a local hero in there.

Pablo’s fame later ended up taking a turn for the worse when he was elected to the Congress political party. During that time, he couldn’t keep his business and the reports surrounding it under wraps. He didn’t hold his fort for long and resigned two years after coming into power.

Net Worth

Pablo Escobar died at the age of 44 when he was shot in 1993. During that time, Pablo’s net worth was around $30 billion, which he garnered through his multiple business and drug smuggling career. He also earned a decent money from his political career, all of which accumulated and made him a billionaire, even at the time of his death.