The most famous Colombian is probably Pablo Escobar. What made him want to own 80% of the world's cocaine trade?
The most famous Colombian is probably Pablo Escobar. What made him want to own 80% of the world's cocaine trade? What made him famous, notorious, and popular at the same time.
Colombia may not be very happy with it, but probably the most famous person in the country is drug trafficker Pablo Escobar. As the leader of the Medellín cartel, he raised billions of dollars a week in the cocaine trade, made politics, and defended the poor population of the South American country. Pablo Escobar was indeed a business genius.
The beginning of a criminal career
Pablo Escobar was born on December 1st, 1949 in the Medellín countryside. At the age of 17, he told friends that he was tired of this life and wants to get rich. If he couldn't do that within five years, he would commit suicide. That was also when Pablo started petty thefts like stealing gravestones and smuggling whiskey and illegal cigarettes.
‘Only' in 1975 Pablo entered the cocaine trade. He has the local drug chief Fabio Restrepo murdered and takes over his drug trade. From the beginning, he has had a brutal policy against the police and the judiciary, “Plata o Plomo”, meaning silver or lead. Loosely translated, “accept bribes or get a bullet through your head.”
Business insight from Pablo Escobar
Pablo Escobar quickly found out that the cocaine was not of the best quality. The coca, the raw material for these drugs, from the neighboring countries Bolivia and Peru was of a much higher quality. Thanks to his good contacts and the bribery of soldiers, Pablo managed to transport the raw material to Colombia so that he could produce better cocaine.
At the height of his career, Pablo Escobar was ranked 7th in the top ten richest people in the world according to Forbes, holding 80% of the world's drug trafficking in his hands. During that time, he made $ 420 million a week, with a peak of $ 30 billion a year. Including a loss of 1 to 2 billion.
Strange Facts About Pablo Escobar
When you're so rich and have such good business insight, you sometimes get into capers.
1. Pablo spent $ 500 on elastic bands to bundle his money.
2. The money could not be brought to the bank, so it was kept in warehouses and shops. Therefore, over 10% of the income was literally eaten by rats.
3. During the period he was in hiding, his daughter developed pneumonia. To warm them up, Pablo burned about $ million.
4. Pablo was very popular among the poor. He donated a lot to charities and churches. When a slum burns out, Pablo has 1,000 apartments built in which people from the affected slum can live freely.
5. His greatest fear was being extradited to the United States. That is why he proposes the Colombian government to pay the national debt of 10 billion US dollars. Strangely enough, the government did not accept his offer.
6. Pablo builds his own luxurious prison, La Catedral, from which he continues criminal activities.
7. If the police want to transfer him to another prison, he escapes and escapes for 18 months. Until the police get Pablo back on track after a phone call to his family. After a shootout, Pablo is killed at the age of 44.
His name is never lost
To date, no one has ever reached a position like Pablo Escobar. His whole life, the role he played in the cocaine trade, and his help to the poor make him an inspiration for, for example, the successful Netflix series Narcos. But we at Style Italy also have several items with Don Pablo, such as Local Fanatic (a white and black T-shirt) and Mascherone.
The Escobar family also makes their cut in Pablo's life. She organizes guided tours through Medellín, including the house where he was shot and his final resting place.
And Pablo's house is still well used. A new life was breathed into his zoo on the 20-hectare land: there is now a theme park, a water park, and an African museum. All the ingredients for a pleasant day. So the legend of Pablo Escobar lives on. To eternity.
