Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria AKA "El Patron" was ranked among the 227 billionaires by Forbes magazine from1989-91 and was estimated to be earning around $400 million(US) on weekly basis hence making around $22 billion on annual basis. He was responsible for 80% of cocaine in worlds market and headed the infamous "medallion" cartel of Colombia and at his peak was said to be providing 4 line out of 5 that Americans were snorting in 1990 as claimed by the DEA(Drug Enforcement agency). The 900 miles border of Colombia with her northern neighbor was virtually unguarded and was the smuggling ground of cocaine by Medellin cartel, however, after some time they used the aerial route to smuggle cocaine to America which was their main money machine. For using the aerial route of smuggling the medallion smuggler used to drop their packages(cocaine) in the international waters which were then picked by their contacts in American by speedboats and sometimes the drops were even made in the American countryside. Pablo Escobar was the undisputed "king of cocaine" during throughout 1980's and early 1990's. He was widely regarded as too big to be taken down by the Colombian government and was widely regarded as the "robin hood" among the local Colombian population especially the country people as he used to distribute loads of money among the poor and even build them a number of houses and football fields. His stature could just be imagined when he struck a deal with Colombian government in which he was imprisoned in his own designed prison which contained a football field, pool, barbeque area and a separate mansion for his family and easily controlled his cocaine empire from inside and the Colombian national police was not allowed within the 3 miles of the prison.
His reign of power ended with him being killed by the Colombian army with critical assistance by the American defense apparatus on 2 December 1993 after his escape from his self-styled prison.