We always get used to hearing older people say that “crime does not pay”, but that should not apply to the life story of the most feared criminals in the world. Africa Trendy published the ranking of the 10 millionaire criminals in history
Surprise or maybe not. Pablo Escobar appears at the top of the list. The king of cocaine is commonly considered to be one of the most infamous criminals to ever exist. In fact, when Escobar celebrated his 35th birthday, he was already one of the richest men in the world, all due to his drug trafficking business with the United States, with a strong focus on the 1980s. , until today, it is impossible to know the flow of drugs sold and the total value of money collected.
Many suggest that Escobar was responsible for introducing about 80% of cocaine into the United States at that time, with the Colombian, a native of Medellín, believed to earn about $ 420 million a week from the business.
It is uncertain how much of the fortune Escobar collected during his lifetime, but in 1989 Forbes magazine estimated that his pop-ups and investments, essentially in the real estate sector, would be worth about three billion dollars.
Pablo Escobar, who has already surrendered film and television characters, died at 44 during an epic escape from the police. He had been sentenced to 60 years in prison sixteen months earlier.
Al Capone comes in second. The billionaire mobster of Italian origin is one of the most famous criminals in history. “Scarface”, as it was also known, made a fortune during Prohibition implemented in the USA from 1920 to 1933, when it illegally brought liquors and other drinks to the country.
It is estimated that, in its heyday, Al Capone reached a fortune of around 1.3 million dollars, which for the beginning of the 20th century, are very high values.
In addition to his business, Al Capone was also known for his temperament. He killed or had hundreds of people killed and was responsible for the Valentine’s Day Massacre in 1929 in Chicago.
An alleged criminal, Capone managed not to be convicted of most of his crimes. Still, he was imprisoned for six years, having been released in 1947. He died of a heart attack a few days later.
Closing the podium is Anthony Salerno with a fortune, it is estimated, in the order of one billion dollars. Known as “Fat Tony”, Fortune magazine considered him, in 1989, the most powerful and richest American mobster.
Salerno’s fortune, also of Italian origin, was made in different ways and shapes. Casino fraud, high fees or loan sharks were some of the crimes he committed. He was sentenced to 100 years and 70 years in prison in two different trials. He died in prison in 1992 due to health complications.
Fourth comes Meyer Lansky. He made a fortune working as an accountant for the mafia. Together with his companion and friend Bugsy Siegel helped to develop Las Vegas in what we know today.
Known for the creative way in which he capitalized, he used several North American casinos and Swiss banks in his schemes, until in 1970 he was accused of tax evasion. To escape from prison, he tried to escape to Israel, where he had roots, but failed and faced conviction for his crimes.
He died in 1983 of lung cancer and with $ 35,000 in his bank account. His estate was worth 400 million.
Fifth place is occupied by Frank Lucas, the famous drug dealer in Harlem, a neighborhood in New York. It started, very young, very frugally in the world of crime. Basically stole. But his perseverance took him to the top in the 1970s.
It is said that he trafficked drugs in the coffins of the American military killed in the Vietnam War. To date, no one has ever been able to prove the rumor.
His life story inspired the Hollywood film “American Gangster”. He was arrested 18 times, but only three were convicted. Despite his public fortune of around 52 million dollars, this figure is believed to be false, as Lucas hid most of his money.
Griselda Blanco is the first woman in the ranking and has been linked to drug trafficking. Like Escobar, Griselda made her fortune as a drug dealer linked to the Medellín cartel. She became a front man for trafficking in Miami in the 1950s and the authorities considered her to be a pioneer in the way she carried out trafficking.
It was responsible for the deaths of at least 200 people in both Colombia and the USA. She earned the nickname Black Widow and was murdered in 2012, aged 69. His fortune is estimated to have reached $2 billion.
Dennis Kozlowski follows. Known as the biggest fraud creator in the world, he started by being in prison for two years (1999 to 2001). In his schemes, Kozlowski managed to raise about $81 million.
He became the CEO of Tyco International, a fire safety and security company located in the USA. Also known as “piggy”, he spent the money he made very quickly on luxury yachts and real estate in New York. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison, but was released on parole in 2014.
George Jung was linked to the drug trade. His reign lasted, and was fruitful, in the 70s and 80s of the last century. In 1987 he was arrested, but he posted bail and set up camp in Kansas. In 1994, Jung was again caught in flagrante delicto in possession of 800 kilograms of cocaine. His continued criminal behavior led to his 60-year prison sentence, and he was released twenty years later. At the time, his fortune was worth about $ 100 million.
Leona Helmsley is the second woman in the ranking. Known for her tyrant attitudes, Helmsley made a fortune in real estate, basically paying no fees.
She and her husband own several luxury New York buildings, including the iconic Empire States and Flatiron.
In 1989, after years of refusing to pay fees, she was convicted of extortion. Her criminal behavior earned her a sturdy pillow that, at the time she was put behind bars, would be worth two billion dollars.
The ranking of the 10 closes with Joaquin Guzman. “El Chapo”, as he is known, is, most likely, after Pablo Escobar one of the most feared drug traffickers in the world. He came to be regarded as the most powerful drug dealer by the US Treasury Department.
Owner of the Sinaloa cartel, “El Chapo” has been the major supplier of cocaine in the United States in recent years. He escaped from prison twice, on one occasion he had an elaborate and expensive tunnel excavated with the help of architects and engineers. Currently trapped in the United States, Guzman’s fortune is expected to be around $ 1 billion.
Africa Trendy is a digital media company for opinion-based rankings and crowdsourcing on just about everything.
