Last updated : June 16, 2025
One of the world’s most infamous criminals was cocaine kingpin, Pablo Escobar. Between his rise to power in the early 1980s until he was killed by Colombian police in late 1993, Escobar ruled the Medellin Cartel with an iron fist, terrifying people into submission while he ruined their lives and took their money. Here are some little-known facts about Escobar.
He was a child criminal
Escobar stole headstones and cars as a child and even kidnapped a few people. He often said he wanted to be a professional criminal and showed no interest in legitimate careers.
He committed murder to assume control of the cartel
The Medellin Cartel was well established before Escobar came along. He killed its leader, Fabio Restrepo, and took over. By 1985, one of every five lines of cocaine was supplied by Medellin.
He had an unimaginable amount of money
While many drug kingpins are fabulously wealthy, Escobar took it a step further by having a Lear jet specially built to accommodate $10 million or more in cash transport between countries.
His money brought strange problems
Escobar was rumored to have taken in $420 million per week. He stored the cash in warehouses and lost about two percent per year to rats and other rodents gnawing on the bills. It was also said he spent nearly $3,000 per month on rubber bands in order to properly organize and stack the money.
He often bribed and murdered officials
When Escobar was arrested for his criminal activities, he would offer police and judges vast sums of money to drop the charges. If they did not cooperate, he had them killed. It is estimated that 1,000 police officers, 200 judges, a number of journalists and three individuals running for the Colombian presidency died at the hands of Escobar.
He blew up a plane to kill one man
Escobar was the mind behind the bombing of Avianca Flight 203, which occurred on November 27, 1989. The target was intended to be César Gaviria Trujillo, who was a presidential candidate. On the advice of his security team, Trujillo did not get on the plane, and 110 people died for nothing.
He had a huge estate
All the money Escobar’s operation brought in allowed him to build a substantial private compound that grew to eight square miles. It contained an airport and a go-cart track for his amusement along with a private zoo that he filled with elephants, giraffes, hippos and lions.
Pablo Escobar was a dangerous and ruthless individual who left his mark in the world of drug dealing and distribution but found out in the end that crime does not pay.
