Pablo Escobar

NAME Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria.

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Escobar was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist, best known as the founder and leader of the Medellín Cartel, which dominated the global cocaine trade in the 1980s and early 1990s. He became notorious as the "King of Cocaine," amassing immense wealth and power, and was considered one of the wealthiest and most dangerous criminals in history.

BIRTH Born December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, Antioquia Department, Colombia.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Escobar was the third of seven children. His father, Abel de Jesús Escobar Echeverri, was a small farmer, and his mother, Hermilda de los Dolores Gaviria Berrío, was a schoolteacher. The family was of Spanish (Basque) and Italian descent and grew up in poverty.

CHILDHOOD Raised in Medellín, Escobar experienced a tough and impoverished upbringing living in an adobe hut without electricity or running water.  His brother Roberto recounts a time they were sent home from school for lack of shoes and money.

Escobar showed early signs of entrepreneurial spirit, with some accounts suggesting he began petty criminal activities in his youth.

Escaobar was ambitious from a young age, reportedly dreaming of becoming president of Colombia. His early environment contributed to his later criminal tendencies.

EDUCATION Escobar left high school just before his 17th birthday but returned two years later with his cousin. He later forged a high school diploma and briefly attended Universidad Autónoma Latinoamericana of Medellín, aiming to become a criminal lawyer and politician, but left due to lack of funds.

CAREER RECORD Escobar’s criminal career began with petty crimes such as selling fake diplomas, smuggling stereo equipment, and stealing tombstones and cars. 

Early 1970s: Kidnapping and ransom became part of his operations.

Mid-1970s: Became involved in the growing cocaine trade. Escaobar helped found the Medellín Cartel, overseeing the cartel's production, transportation, and distribution of cocaine.

1982: Elected as an alternate member of the Colombian Chamber of Representatives.

1984 Forced to resign from Congress due to exposure of his criminal activities.

1991-1992 Pablo Escobar was in his self-built prison, La Catedral, from June 1991 to July 1992.

APPEARANCE Escobar was of average height, with a stocky build, dark hair, and a prominent mustache, which he sometimes grew out for disguise.

A mug shot taken by the regional Colombia control agency in Medellín in 1976.

FASHION He favored casual, open-collar shirts and slacks, often dressing simply to blend in, but could also be seen in more formal attire when necessary for business or politics.

CHARACTER Escobar was charismatic, ambitious, ruthless, and highly intelligent. He inspired loyalty among his followers but was feared by rivals and authorities. He was also capable of generosity, funding housing and sports projects for the poor, which earned him a "Robin Hood" reputation among some Colombians.

SPEAKING VOICE Escobar had a commanding and persuasive speaking style, often described as confident and direct, which contributed to his ability to manipulate and lead others.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Accounts suggest he had a dark, sardonic sense of humor, often using it to disarm or intimidate those around him.

RELATIONSHIPS Pablo Escobar married María Victoria Henao on March 29, 1976, when he was 26 and she was 15 years old. The wedding took place at six o’clock in the evening in the Santísima Trinidad church in Palmira, Colombia.

Their relationship faced strong opposition from Henao’s family, who considered Escobar socially inferior. As a result, neither her parents nor siblings attended the ceremony, and no one from Escobar’s family was present either. The couple eloped with the help of Henao’s grandmother, who took them to the bishop’s home to arrange the marriage.

Despite the age gap and her family’s disapproval, María Victoria described Escobar as her first and only love, recalling his affectionate nature and his dreams of helping the poor. Early in their marriage, Escobar did not reveal the true nature of his business. Henao soon realized, however, that his frequent absences and rapidly growing wealth were linked to criminal activity.

Their marriage lasted 17 years, until Escobar’s death in 1993. During this time, they had two children: Juan Pablo (now Sebastián Marroquín) and Manuela. María Victoria endured a turbulent and often painful relationship, marked by Escobar’s numerous affairs, long absences, and the ever-present dangers of his criminal world. She later described living in constant fear, facing raids, threats, and periods of hiding and exile. Despite his infidelities and the violence surrounding their lives, she remained with him out of love, fear, and concern for her children’s safety.

Escobar’s criminal activities and the violence of the drug wars deeply affected their family life, especially after the assassination of Justice Minister Rodrigo Lara Bonilla in 1984, which marked the beginning of an era of extreme violence and forced the family into frequent hiding. In her memoirs, María Victoria Henao reflects on her love for Escobar but also expresses sadness and shame over the suffering he caused to their family and Colombia. (1)

MONEY AND FAME At his peak, Escobar’s net worth was estimated at $30 billion (equivalent to ~$80 billion in 2025). His lavish lifestyle included multiple properties, private planes, and extravagant parties. Escobar was listed by Forbes as one of the world’s richest men. His wealth was so vast that he reportedly spent thousands of dollars monthly on rubber bands to bundle cash, and much of his money was stored in warehouses, with some lost to rats or decay.

Escobar was famous for hosting extravagant parties at his estates, featuring luxurious amenities such as bullfighting arenas, artificial lakes, and even dinosaur statues. These gatherings were part of his opulent lifestyle and a way to display his immense wealth.

Escobar gained notoriety and infamy on a global scale.

CRIMINAL CAREER Pablo Escobar began his criminal career with the sort of mischief that wouldn’t look out of place in a particularly ambitious high school prank. He sold fake diplomas, forged report cards (presumably with excellent grades), dabbled in smuggling stereo equipment, and—rather disturbingly—stole tombstones to resell them, proving that his entrepreneurial spirit extended even to the recently deceased.

By the early-1970s, Escobar had graduated—though not in any formal academic sense—to car theft, earning his first arrest in 1974. He didn’t linger long in the amateur leagues. By then, he’d moved on to more violent enterprises, like kidnapping for ransom. In 1971, his gang abducted a prominent businessman named Diego Echavarria and, after collecting a $50,000 ransom, murdered him anyway. Escobar was clearly not yet up on customer service etiquette.

In 1976, Escobar found his true calling: cocaine. At the time, cocaine was the shiny new toy of the global drug trade, and Pablo was eager to play. He co-founded what would become the Medellín Cartel and quickly set about turning Colombia into the cocaine capital of the known universe. Smuggling routes were carved through Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador like some nightmarish travel itinerary, with the end destination being the United States and its rapidly expanding appetite for nose candy.

By the late 1970s, the cartel was shifting up to 80 tons of cocaine a month—enough to give a continent a nosebleed. By the late '80s, Escobar’s organization controlled 80% of the U.S. market. This is not a typo. It was a business model of such outrageous success that it would make Jeff Bezos blush.

Escobar’s approach to management was simple and not remotely subtle. He offered people "plata o plomo"—silver or lead. Accept a bribe or get shot. It was effective, if not exactly in line with modern HR practices. Judges, cops, politicians—everyone had a price, and those who didn’t soon had funerals. This strategy turned the Colombian justice system into something roughly as functional as a chocolate teapot and about as durable under pressure.

The cartel also showed a flair for the inventive, hiding drugs in everything from airplane tires to commercial goods, and occasionally piloting entire plane-loads themselves. If ingenuity were a redeeming quality, they’d be saints.

Escobar’s reign was less a chapter in history and more a non-stop Tarantino film. He orchestrated bombings, assassinations, and attacks so brazen they felt fictional. In 1989, he ordered the bombing of Avianca Flight 203, killing all 107 people on board in a failed attempt to eliminate a rival. That same year, a bombing at the DAS intelligence agency left over 50 dead and thousands injured.

By the time the dust began to settle, some 4,000 people had died at his hands or by his orders—including three presidential candidates, an attorney general, and more than 1,000 police officers. Escobar didn’t just bend the rules. He blew them up, quite literally.

Yet, Escobar remained wildly popular among many in Medellín. He poured money into his hometown, building homes, schools, and even zoos. People who had nothing suddenly had something, and that something came with free football fields and healthcare. It’s amazing what a few public works can do to distract from the occasional car bomb.

Eventually, the party ended—as cocaine-fueled parties so often do. A relentless manhunt by Colombian forces, backed enthusiastically by the United States, combined with betrayal from rival cartels and former allies, brought the whole empire crashing down. In December 1993, Escobar was shot and killed on a rooftop in Medellín, his life ending as explosively as it had been lived. He was 44. Colombia, and indeed much of the world, breathed a stunned, if slightly cocaine-dusted, sigh of relief.

FOOD AND DRINK Pablo Escobar had a notable fondness for monkey meat, which was reportedly one of his favorite dishes. According to his personal chef, Escobar would eat large quantities of monkey, prepared by boiling and shaving it, and enjoyed it so much that he would eat until he was tired of it. (2)

He also ate traditional Colombian foods. Some sources mention that he enjoyed dishes like chicken soup (sancocho de gallina), arepas (corn cakes often filled with meats or cheese), and fish tacos, reflecting typical Colombian and South American cuisine.

Escobar was not a heavy drinker. He preferred beer on occasion but did not drink much alcohol overall.

He did not smoke cigarettes, but he was fond of strong Colombian cannabis, which he used regularly until his death. He rarely used cocaine.

During his time in his self-built prison, La Catedral, Escobar had access to an endless supply of high-quality food, alcohol, and other comforts, but specific details about his preferred dishes or drinks from this period are not well documented

MUSIC AND ARTS Escobar, through his charity Medellín sin Tugurios, sponsored public events and helped fund Medellín’s first major rock concert in 1983.

Escobar reportedly accumulated a vast art collection, with some sources claiming it was valued at around $1.5 billion and included works by artists such as Dalí, Picasso, Rodin, and Colombian artists like Botero and Luis Caballero. 

LITERATURE Escobar was not known as a literary figure, but he did aspire to be well-educated and once dreamed of being a lawyer and politician.

NATURE His home Hacienda Nápoles, was a vast estate with a private zoo.

PETS Escobar had a fascination with exotic animals and established a private zoo at his Hacienda Nápoles estate. The zoo included elephants, giraffes, and other rare species, reflecting his interest in wildlife and nature. It most famously hippos, which have since become an invasive species in Colombia.

When Pablo Escobar’s daughter, Manuela, asked for a unicorn, Escobar tried to fulfill her wish in a literal way. He bought her a horse and had a cone stapled to its head and wings attached to its back to resemble a unicorn. Tragically, the horse later died from an infection caused by the injuries.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS One of Pablo Escobar's most passionate hobbies was car racing. In the late 1970s, after already establishing himself as the leader of the Medellín Cartel, Escobar began competing as a racing driver. He participated in the Copa Renault 4 and owned several high-performance cars, including a Porsche, which he raced in various South American events. He was known for betting on his own racing abilities and boasted about his achievements, such as completing a famous hill climb near Medellín within a self-imposed time limit—a story he reportedly bragged about for years. (3)

Pablo Escobar cheated at Monopoly games with his children by hiding extra Monopoly money ahead of time in the spot where he planned to sit. According to his son, Sebastián Marroquín (formerly Juan Pablo Escobar), Escobar would set up the game in advance, secretly stashing money under the rug or couch near his seat. When the family started playing, he always seemed to have an endless supply of cash, regardless of how the game progressed. Marroquín described his father as "the best at cheating because he planned his cheating way in advance". (4)

Image by Gemini

He was passionate about football (soccer), funding teams and building pitches for local communities. He also enjoyed flying and piloted planes during his early smuggling days.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Escobar was raised Catholic and often invoked religious language, but his actions were at odds with religious teachings. He viewed himself as a provider and protector of the poor, justifying his criminal actions as a means to an end.

POLITICS In one of the more surreal turns in this story, Escobar was actually elected to Colombia’s Chamber of Representatives in 1982. He used this platform to hand out goodies like a deranged Santa Claus—building houses, football pitches, and clinics, mostly in poor neighborhoods. This won him genuine admiration, and not just from those afraid of getting shot.

Unfortunately, democracy has a way of being inconvenient for criminals, and once Escobar’s extracurricular activities came to light, his political career went the way of most people who opposed him—straight off a cliff.

SCANDAL Escobar’s life was marked by scandal: mass killings, assassinations, bombings, bribery, and corruption at the highest levels. His activities led to a period of intense violence and instability in Colombia.

MILITARY RECORD Escobar never served in the military, but he commanded private armies and hired mercenaries, including leftist guerrillas, to carry out assassinations and attacks.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS There are no notable records of chronic health issues. Escobar maintained reasonable fitness, often on the move due to his fugitive lifestyle.

HOMES His most famous residence was Hacienda Nápoles, a vast estate with a private zoo, airstrip, and luxury amenities. He also owned multiple safe houses and properties across Colombia and abroad.

Pablo Escobar lived in his self-built prison, La Catedral, from June 1991 to July 1992. Here's the wild part: he designed it himself—complete with a private bar, jacuzzi, waterfall, soccer field, and a telescope so he could spy on his family in Medellín. It was less prison, more "criminal luxury spa retreat."

He agreed to this bizarre setup as part of a deal with the Colombian government to avoid extradition to the United States. But after reports surfaced that Escobar was still running his cartel from inside and even torturing and killing people on-site, the government decided to move him to a real prison.

Before they could, Escobar escaped—essentially just walked out on July 22, 1992—kicking off a massive manhunt that lasted until his death in December 1993.

TRAVEL Escobar traveled extensively for business, especially between Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, and the United States. He piloted planes himself in his early smuggling days.

DEATH Pablo Escobar died on December 2, 1993, in Medellín, Colombia, one day after his 44th birthday. After 16 months on the run, Escobar was tracked down by the Colombian National Police’s Search Bloc, aided by U.S. intelligence and surveillance technology. Authorities located him in a middle-class neighborhood, Los Olivos, after he made a phone call to his son.

When police stormed the house, Escobar and his bodyguard, Alvaro de Jesús Agudelo ("El Limón"), attempted to escape by fleeing across the rooftops. Both were shot in the ensuing gunfight. Escobar was hit in the torso, leg, and fatally through the head, with the bullet entering below his right ear. The official account credits the Search Bloc with killing Escobar, but controversy persists: some believe he was killed by rival vigilantes (Los Pepes), while his family maintains he committed suicide to avoid capture, consistent with his oft-stated motto, "We prefer a grave in Colombia to a prison in the United States". (1)

Escobar’s funeral was held swiftly due to security concerns, despite an outpouring of public grief. His body lay in a metallic grey coffin at a cemetery chapel, where mourners—many of them Medellín’s poor, whom Escobar had aided—kept vigil and sang in his honor. An estimated 3,000 to 25,000 people attended, forming long lines and chanting his name.

He was buried in the family plot at Cementerio Jardines Montesacro (also known as Monte Sacro Cemetery) in Itagüí, a suburb just south of Medellín, in a serene setting overlooking the Aburrá Valley. His grave is modest, marked alongside those of his parents and relatives, and has become a site of frequent visits by tourists, admirers, and the curious. Some locals still leave flowers or pray at his grave, reflecting the complex legacy he left in Colombia. (5)

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Escobar’s life has been widely depicted in film, television, and music, including the Netflix series Narcos, documentaries, and numerous books such as Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden. His story continues to fascinate and horrify audiences worldwide.

ACHIEVEMENTS Escobar built the world’s most powerful drug cartel, amassed unprecedented wealth, and wielded significant influence over Colombian society and politics. However, his legacy is defined by violence, corruption, and the suffering of thousands

Sources (1) All That's Interesting (2) Thread Reader (3) Classic Machines (4) Business Insider (5) Medellin Guru