If he were alive today he might bristle at being characterized as a drug dealer, but many of his bootlegging activities were the equivalent of underground narcotics traffic today. Ismael Zambada. He has earned a large amount of money because of the drug trafficking business which was started in 1990. If we had invested Al Capone's money into an S&P Index fund, he probably would have been the richest gangster today. Rayful Edmond. The "Opium King" is the most successful drug lord, as he retired in 1996 and enjoyed his wealth for a good 11 years until his death. . I dont see that alcohol or tobacco salesmen feel guilty. He owns a factory which can produce and sell drugs of almost 2-3 million per day. Best known as the wife of notorious drug lord Frank Lucas, Julianna Farrait has been behind bars twice, once in 2010, for selling cocaine. When he was arrested . To paint your grey hairs, we used mascara and eyeliner, she cheerfully explained. That's why we are going to use guesstimates from various sites in our rankings. At the top of any of these organizations is usually one individual that makes the most: the drug lord. You go to a restaurant and a bar and the owners dont feel guilty., Asked about how cartels will react to the legalization of marijuana and the possible end of a lucrative line of business, she said that it doesnt matter because there will always be the invention of new drugs. Rajan, like the others, uses Mumbai as one of his main bases for his business operations as well . His name may not be as familiar as some of the others on this list to western readers, but the man known as Khun Sa was at one time known as the "Opium King" of Myanmar. While her childhood friends soon rose to become leaders of the Sinaloa cartel, young Sandra explored other routes, taking her verve and enrolling in journalism classes as a feisty 17 year old. Legends state that he bought drugs from the "Golden Triangle" and smuggled them into the U.S. using the coffins of servicemen. Whilst the Medellin Cartel was waging war against the Columbian government, the Cali Cartel was less-violent and focused on making money. He once escaped from a high security jail by hiding in a laundry basket. Her fortune is mostly buried, and she and a bevy of lawyers are now furiously fighting to recoup approximately 15 homes, 30 sports cars and an estimated 300 jewels. A notorious Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar was the founder and leader of the infamous Medelln Cartel. He was portrayed by Cujar on Netflix seriesNarcos. Californian, businesswoman, 'narco junior': El Chapo's American daughter, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. To change that, to be another person is difficult, she said of that time. 8. Los Tucanes De Tijuana immortalized vila with their song, Sandra vila Beltrn, Mexicos former Queen of Cocaine, speaks out. Within months she had left town, ending her hopes of a career as an investigative reporter. He has a brand called Mean Machine which supplies all drugs to the users and earning profit from that. Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha. It is estimated that he was worth $25 billion dollars at one point, making him one of the richest drug lords ever. That's a big deal. She met her new love, Juan Diego Espinoza, a handsome young Colombian cocaine dealer who, interviewed years later in prison, then estimated he was moving 10 tons of cocaine every month from Colombia to the US, via Mexico. This time, vila didnt try to flee. It is like a Formula 1 race car driver who says: I like speed, I like to race.. Perhaps I could save myself among the other cars. During the 1970s and the 1980s. Rayful Edmond is an American drug lord in Washington D.C. in the 1980's. Edmond is credited with introducing crack cocaine into Washington D.C. For methodology and a more extensive list please see this article. They were more successful because of their special teams. Fabio Ochoa Vsquez gained notoriety as a key member of thehighly-organizedMedelln cocaine trafficking cartel. Griselda Blanco, bynames Godmother of Cocaine, the Godmother, and Black Widow, (born February 15, 1943, Santa Marta?, Colombiadied September 3, 2012, Medelln), Colombian cocaine trafficker who amassed a vast empire and was a central figure in the violent drug wars in Miami in the 1970s and '80s. Colombia's most wanted drug trafficker and the leader of the country's largest criminal gang has been captured.Dairo Antonio suga, better known as Otoniel, . Crime lords don't get much more famous, or infamous, than Chicago's own Al Capone. Jorge, Juan David, and Fabio Ochoa were three brothers who were also co-founders and members of the Medellin Cartel. German-Colombian drug kingpin Carlos Lehder, co-founder of the Medelln Cartel, which smuggled cocaine into the U.S., formed the Muerte a Secuestradores, to fight against the kidnappings of his cartel members. Initially they primarily shipped cannabis into the United States, but soon turned over to cocaine. Gaining respect was paramount to her. This King of the Golden Triangle changed his name to Khun Sa to reflect his trade power and maternal heritage, since the name means Prince Prosperous in the Burmese Shan dialect. We're talking about the kingpins, the drug lords, the real bosses. No one is obliged to use., Cartel-related deaths, she says, are the result of competition, and the Mexican governments brutal assassination tactics. He is presently serving the term in federal prison in Jesup, GA. Evelin Banev is a Bulgarian entrepreneur, published writer, real estate developer, and former wrestler. Dubbed "The King of Cocaine",he left behind a controversial legacy upon his death at the age of 44. Top 10 Most Expensive Furniture Brands in the World. Listening to the radio in her cell, she covered elections in Venezuela and both Obama campaigns. nside the front door of Sandra vila Beltrns home is an altar and lit candles that form a crowded shrine to her first husband (riddled by gunfire), her second husband (stabbed through the heart) and her brother (tortured to death). vila learned to tweak her beauty routines. Thought by many to be a pushover due to his boyish looks and wealthy upbringing, Klaas Bruinsma proves himself a sadistic and sinister drug lord. 16. Brothers Gilberto and Miguel Orejuela were two of the co-founders and leaders of the Cali Cartel, a drug cartel from Columbia and one of the major rivals of the Medellin Cartel. Pixabay/ Public Domain. He has also invested money in different construction and real estate projects. While most of the drug lords are men, Griselda Blancoknown as the "Godmother of Cocaine"gained the notoriety of being one of the few women in this illegal and dangerous field. Before Boston George, she was the Medellin Cartel's most prolific smuggler, running tons of cocaine into New York, Miami, and Southern California. (Gangster, Co-Founder & Boss of the 'Chicago Outfit' Crime Family), (Colombian Drug Lady of the Medelln Cartel), Ross Ulbricht, or "Dread Pirate Roberts, created the dark market site. The Indian Express valued Chhota Rajan's net worth at Rs 4,000-5,000 crore which puts him among some of India's richest drug lords. He was the leader of a cartel known to have smuggled 80% of the cocaine in the United States. Rodriquez assisted in setting up various trafficking routes throughout South and Latin America, in addition to constructing the various labs in the jungles where they actually made the cocaine. Following in the footsteps of his father Christopher Coke, founder of the notoriously violent Shower Posse, this Jamaican drug lord trafficked huge amounts of cocaine, marijuana, and firearms. Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha is perhaps better known by the moniker "El Mexicano." The gathering was packed with narcos, politicians, military brass and police commanders, and accessible only by air. We are going to assume El Chapo's wealth at $3 billion. But the real money isn't in the hand to hand drug dealing you see on city corners, if you want to become insanely wealthy you need to either supply or transport wholesale amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine or marijuana. But I don't know if he was the richest. You start to be a delinquent and then become violent, she said. He was then never really locked up and lived out the remainder of his life in Rangoon. How did El Chapo become a drug lord? Cops arrest man allegedly behind spate of Wentworth shootings. He also has developed the largest heroin empire of the world. Let's take a look at who the richest Colombian drug lord is. Dead., vila described how a humble witness to the scene gave her shelter, changed her into simple clothes, and saved her life. A million dollars is nothing. His drug cartel monopolized the cocaine trade into the United States and he became one of the wealthiest criminals ever in history. 5 Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov Uzbek mobster. Often referred to as the "World's Greatest Outlaw", he was known for his quirky ways of eluding arrest. She spent 15 . His original name is Ricky Donnell Ross and is also considered as a celebrity. Griselda Blanco Restrepo (February 15, 1943 - September 3, 2012), known as the Black Widow, was a Colombian drug lord of the Medelln Cartel, and in the Miami-based cocaine drug trade and underworld, during the 1970s through the early 2000s. He was involved in cocaine business on a small island and used to supply drugs to different places. Amado Carrillo Fuentes was known for his brutality after murdering his boss, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo, and seizing control of the Jurez Cartel. Griselda Blanco, also known as La Madrina and the Black Widow, was the first billionaire female drug lord. The most famous, of course, was Frank Lucas. Thanx))For copyright matters pleas. Paul Lir Alexander Net Worth - $170 Million. He's been designated a "global terrorist" by the governments of both the United States and India since 2003, with a bounty of $25 million on his head. In 2002, her luck turned. Here we are going to take a look at ten of the richest drug lords of all time to show you just how much money these people made. Originally born Zhang Qifu, this infamous drug lord got military training from the Kuomintang and the Burmese Army before becoming independent and establishing himself as the Opium King of Myanmar. Tse Chi Lop, a Chinese-born Canadian national, was listed as . vila also refused to answer certain questions about her precise role in the cocaine trade, coyly forgetting the exact number of bodyguards in her personal detachment, and describing extremely large cash payments made to her as presents. Pablo Escobar: $30 Billion - Topping the list of the richest drug lords. Griselda Blanco, also known as La Madrina and the Black Widow, was the first billionaire female drug lord. Authorities have also linked him to the founding of a "Neo-Nazi" political group in the US, which was allegedly established in order weaken the extradition treaty between the United States and his native Colombia. A parking lot for airplanes had been cleared from the forest, and the buzz of helicopters was constant. He was born in 1930 and established the biggest international drug market in the whole world by his large business. Rafael Caro is the drug lord who belongs to Mexico and is the first Mexican drug dealer in the world. Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas is the co-founder of the Medellin Cartel and still alive. In her world, drugs were everywhere, and illegal drug use a consumer not moral choice. Her life became full-time cartel. But it made me happy., Asked what kind of collaboration from crooked officials Guzmn would have needed, she said: It has to be help from the highest levels of government. "La Jefa" is the first female drug lord to lead a Mexican cartel, running the Tijuana Cartel after her brothers fell . To be able to buy that system? Her three-decade rise to power has provided her with a front-row view of private jets, clandestine plastic surgery operations to disguise identity, murderous shootouts at VIP parties and one non-stop constant: massive bribes to Mexican public officials. (Former crime boss, active in New York City during the 1970s), (Kingpin who ran South Florida from the 1970s to 1990s), (English Criminal and the Mastermind Behind the 1963 'Great Train Robbery'), (Most wanted criminal in the Netherlands with a record-breaking reward of 100,000 until his late 2019 arrest in Dubai), (Former Criminal Cartel Boss and Programmer), (Wife of Notorious Drug Dealer Frank Lucas), (Former Key Member of 'Medelln Cartel', Serving 30-Year Prison Term in the US), (Bulgarian Entrepreneur and Published Writer Who Was Imprisoned on Changes of Money Laundering and Drug Trafficking), (Fugitive and convicted murderer who was added to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on December 7, 1996), (Cuban drug kingpin who ran South Florida from 1970s to 1990s. Find out more about how we use your information in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Amado Carrillo Fuentes was a Mexican drug lord who overtook the Juarez Cartel after he personally assassinated the former leader, Rafael Aguilar Guajardo. The Sinaloa Cartel which he once led is reportedly still a powerful force in drug trafficking and crime. The U.S. Government Cannot Find Any Of El Chapo's Money, #11 Joaqun Loera AKA Chapo Guzman: $1 Billion, #6 Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha: $5 Billion. While throwing a Christmas party at his lavish home in 2009, he and his pals came . Pablo Escobar is the richest drug lord in history. He led a now-defunct criminal group called the Guadalajara Cartel alongside Rafael Caro Quintero and Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo. Meet Mumbai's female drug dealer and who was the Queen of the drug underworld, Shashikala Ramesh Patankar. Rodriguez Gacha resisted arrest by the Colombian government, throwing grenades in a shootout that resulted in the death of himself and his 17-year-old son, Freddy. He knew everything.. This made him one of the richest drug bosses ever with an estimated fortune of over US $25 billion. At dawn you heard the music, the shootouts, it was when they killed the people.. 13 US cities crowded by Mexican drug cartels, 10 U.S. cities with highest number of murders, El Chapo and the 12 Richest Drug Lords of All Time, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff, King asks Duke and Duchess of Sussex to move out of Frogmore so Prince Andrew can move in, Biden Mocks Marjorie Taylor Greene With 1 Simple Hand Gesture, A Nebraska high-school cheerleader competed on her own after the rest of her squad quit. Two gunmen boxed in their car and descended with a fusillade of gunfire. The Richest Drug Dealers: #20 George Jung - Net Worth $10 Thousand. . Please subscribe for more amazing videos coming soon. He is getting all this publicity because we live in the social media age. She went on the run and for years lived as a fugitive. Three years later, El Chapo, by then one of the world's biggest drug lords, was arrested by . Political and law enforcement pressure forced him into retirement in the 90s, and he passed away in 2007. She spent so many hours counting cash as a child that she could later swipe a clutch of bills and just like a cocktail party trick precisely calculate their value. Fabio, the youngest of the three brothers, spent the 1970s and 1980s purportedly handling thousands of pounds of cocaine. Drugs are now supplied in large quantity, and most of the people are involved in that. Next up is Griselda Blanco (a.k.a. Two years after the conviction and life sentence of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the cartel he once headed appears stronger than ever.. A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration . Who are the richest drug dealers of all time? Murillo has been played by actors like Carlos Velsquez and Mauricio Cujar in TV series. Lucas was a heroin dealer in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today well be learning about 10 of the largest drug lords in the world according to their drug-based wealth and learning some unique facts about each one. Chicago also ranks #1 in our list of the top 10 U.S. cities with highest number of murders. He spent 33 years in prison and was recently released. Al Capone: Net Worth - $100 Million. 10 Female Drug Lords. Alice Walton . He has been estimated to be worth some $1 billion dollars, and is known for his various prison escapes. Banev's 10-year-old daughter was kidnapped during his imprisonment and released unharmed two months later. She was also a prolific smuggler who is involved in the business at places like New York, Miami, and many others. The total estimate for El Chapo's "gross drug sale proceeds" since early 1990s was less than $12.7 billion. Dubbed "The King of Cocaine",he left behind a controversial legacy upon his death at the age of 44. Known to the world as "El Chapo," Loera is currently imprisoned in a facility in Colorado. Some of them are also involved in other crimes. As various governments began to try and catch Amado, he opted to get plastic surgery on his face to change his appearance. He is involved in film industry financing, terrorism, supplying arms other than drug smuggling. Very tiring. One of his most infamous acts was his involvement in the kidnapping and eventual murder of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena, for which Quintero was eventually convicted. Her father, Alfonso vila Quintero, is related to the founder of the Guadalajara cartel. Amado was known as the lord of the skies as he had 27 Boeing 727 jets that flew regularly into the United States carrying cocaine. The most I ever heard about was a $100m [bribe] to a Mexican president, vila said. As part of the Medellin Cartel, she smuggled cocaine . I remember a suitor who bought me a pickup truck and left it at my friends house with flowers and a note, she said. 6. After falling in love with a drug dealer from a Wentworth gang who was later murdered, Jasmin began dealing in drugs, just like . But now police in Mexico hope to keep hold of Joaquin Guzman, one of the world's most wanted drug barons. He then also started selling cocaine and made many dollars from that. Arturo was killed in a 2009 shootout, but Alfredo continued his reign of terror until 2017 when he was sentenced to life in prison. Instead, Sandra vila entered the drug underworld.