We live in a world where criminal activities continue to rise despite several governments taking a lot of important steps to curtail it. There’s no escape from the fact; the crime world is worth trillions of dollars. A lot of people join the criminal world for it has a lot of benefits. Human trafficking, drug trade, weapon trade, and many other businesses reap a lot of profits for such people. History has witnessed some of the most notorious criminals who own massive wealth but are currently serving in jail behind bars. In this article, we will guide you through 18 richest criminals in history who have confused the world. They are people who have made so much money from the black market that they can start their economies. Following is a list of such people.
- Jose Figueroa Agosto
He made $100 million from drug trafficking and got a 209-year sentence. Though he’s serving his jail sentence behind bars, his massive wealth will be enough for his several generations to come. He has another $100 million in his bank accounts which he can use for whatever business he wants to start. Though, his sentence might not finish till his death, critics say, his jail term is excessive and should be curtailed.
- Nicky Barnes
A lot of people have shocked the world by trading illegal items. Nicky made whopping $105 million by trading heroin. He was earlier known as Mr. Untoucable for the cops couldn’t find him for a long time. He started using heroin at a younger age but very early realized the multiple benefits of actually selling it to the customers. He has massive wealth, much of which no one knows where it is hidden.
- Frank Lucas
If somebody is to be credited for debuting heroin to the US, it would be Frank Lucas. He made whopping $50 million by smuggling heroin to the US. A famous director even made a film on him which was named American Gangster. It would sound bizarre, but he would use the coffins of dead soldiers to stuff in heroin so nobody could doubt.
- Zhenli Ye Gon
This Chinese criminal has collected wealth which is worth $300 million. He hails from Mexico which is often described as the land of criminal activities. He collected a lot of money by selling pseudoephedrine in Mexico. Therefore, there’s no escaping from the fact; drug trade continues to infest this world like a plague.
- George Jung
He also had a complete movie made on his life, named Blow. Johnny Depp played the lead role and did justice to the film. He collected $100 million by smuggling cocaine into the US. He was also caught cheating with his wife, which is why he had a very disturbing personal life.
- Freeway Rick Ross
A lot of people believe cocaine selling is out of fashion. However, you will be shocked to know this man collected $600 million by selling cocaine. You must have seen him on many YouTube shows by now for sure. His looks are very incoherent with his actual work, and his business boomed in the ’90s. Crack cocaine is perhaps one of the cheapest drugs around the world which is why its sale, purchase, and use are still common.
- Paul Lir Alexander
He collected a massive wealth of $170 million by selling cocaine. Interestingly, he also helped the US government catch a lot of other smugglers to secure a position for himself without getting caught. He was finally arrested in 2005 but luckily escaped prison, and since then nobody knows about his whereabouts.
- Joseph P Kennedy
If somebody made a massive wealth by selling alcohol, the person is Joseph Kennedy. He accumulated a massive wealth of $400 million by supplying alcohol to the prohibited areas of the country. Though alcohol was illegal at that time, still he managed to make a lot of money with the investment of energy and relentless efforts.
- Joaquin Guzman Loera
This buddy entered the $1 billion mark by owning the Sinaloa carte in Mexico. Though he was initially arrested in Mexico, he later exited on bail and got rearrested later on. A lot of criminals like him would receive early bail from jail and get re-arrested. If you want to know more about bail bonds you must check Santa Ana bail bonds online. He is also listed as one of the most powerful people in the world by Forbes.
- Al Capone
He was known as one of the most notorious gangsters during his time. He made whopping $1.3 billion from different activities such as smuggling alcohol, murders, killing and by colluding with conventional gangsters during his time. With $1.3 billion, he is regarded as one of the most distinguished gangsters in history. As a single gangster, he did pretty well for himself.
- Griselda Blanco
She broke the stereotypes as a veteran female criminal in the crime world. She was earlier known as the black widow for her signature look. She is said to have brought a lot of cocaine to the US. She made whopping $2 billion worth of money by bringing cocaine to her country. Though the number of female criminals is less but those who are in the business, make a lot of money and continue to shock the world.
- Rodriguez Orejuela Brothers
Both of these brothers initiated their business by starting Cali Cartel. Later on, theey both started to trade drugs of all kinds. They continued to work until they amassed wealth worth $3 billion. They were arrested a few years back and are currently serving their respective sentences In USA prison. They made great headlines when cops caught them. No other brother duo in history has made it to the headlines like this.
- Carlos Lehder
He made a whopping $2.7 billion by selling cocaine. He was also one of the founders of Medelin Cartel. He collaborated with George Jung and engaged in some of the most notorious criminal activities in the world during that time. He sold and purchased a lot of cocaine which earned him a massive net worth at the end of his career.
- Khun Sa
This person broke the $5 billion mark by collecting wealth by selling drugs and weapons. He collected a lot of money to have a lavish lifestyle. You will be shocked to know; he used to own his army at once. This dude is one of the most powerful criminals in history and continues to make way into the headlines of popular magazines and articles.
- Dawood Ibrahim
The Indian origin criminal amassed a wealth of $6.7 billion which is a staggering figure. Be it arms trafficking, sports shaving or blowing somebody up, he made sure there was no stone unturned in making a lot of money. His whereabouts are not known to the public, and his means to collect so much wealth remains a mystery.
- Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha
He was also a prominent part of Medelin Cartel and successfully made about $5 billion. He got so rich in a short time that George Bush eventually wanted him on the ground. Unfortunately, the cops couldn’t find him, and he committed suicide before the world could see him in handcuffs. He left a massive wealth behind him.
- Amado Carrillo
Authorities estimate his wealth to be close to $25 billion by being a part of the Mexican Cartel. He was pretty famous during his time and continues to remain famous in every piece of article related to criminal activities. Interestingly, he underwent plastic surgery so the cops couldn’t chase him anytime. However, he was killed by his bodyguards when he was getting his face altered.
- Pablo Escobar
Though the cops hated him, the locals loved him because he would always give back to the community and distribute gifts amongst the needy. He amassed a wealth of $30 billion as the CEO of Medellin Cartel. He passed away a long time back. He was very powerful and the super-rich.
Nobody can deny the fact, crime can earn a criminal a lot of money, but the aftermaths are very toxic. Most of the criminals mentioned above are currently serving their respective sentences in jail whereas a lot of them have already passed away. The criminal industry is worth billions of dollars which is why it encapsulates a lot of people from the world. There are many reasons why people join the criminal industry. Some of the common reasons are lack of education, unemployment, peer pressure, and the drive to become rich.
The black market continues to perform operations despite a lot of governments making efforts to curtail it. Crime has infested the entire world like a plague which is why it is not going away anytime soon. Even if the crime rate is to be eradicated, the best way is to increase as much awareness as everyone can. Education can change the mindsets of people which is why it is crucial. Criminals do amass massive wealth, but the result is death and jail.
What do you think of our list? Is there a criminal you think should be on it? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
