What was Griselda Blanco's Net Worth?
Griselda Blanco, the notorious drug trafficker, reached a peak net worth of $2 billion. She is often recognized as one of the richest drug dealers of all time. At her death, she is believed to have owned $500 million worth of real estate, with $120 million seized by U.S. authorities.
Known as 'the Black Widow,' 'La Madrina,' and the 'Cocaine Godmother,' Blanco rose to prominence in the 1980s while working with the Medellin Cartel. She innovatively designed special undergarments to smuggle cocaine into the U.S.
Blanco was one of the largest cocaine distributors in the U.S. during the '70s and '80s and was implicated in at least 200 murders, possibly as many as 2,000. She collaborated closely with Pablo Escobar, a childhood friend, and all three of her husbands died, giving her the infamous nickname 'Black Widow.'
After nearly a decade of running her empire, she was captured in 1985 and sentenced to 20 years in prison but was released early due to a technicality. She was deported to Colombia and murdered in 2012 at 69.
Real Estate
At her death, Blanco owned property worth around $500 million. Authorities seized four properties valued at 2 billion pesos (approx. $118.7 million), and she reportedly owned hundreds more, including an apartment costing 550 million pesos ($32.6 million).
Early Life
Griselda Blanco Restrepo was born on February 15, 1943, in Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia. She moved to Medellín with her abusive mother at age 3. By 13, she was a pickpocket and prostitute and had committed her first murder at age 11. At 14, she left home to escape her mother's abusive boyfriend.
Drug Business
In the 1970s and 1980s, Griselda Blanco played a significant role in the drug trade in Colombia, California, Miami, and New York. Using fake passports, she and her second husband, Alberto Bravo, immigrated to the U.S. and started a cocaine business in Queens, New York. Indicted for drug conspiracy, Blanco evaded arrest by returning to Colombia, eventually relocating to Miami and then California to escape assassination attempts.
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Arrest and Murder
DEA agents arrested Blanco on February 18, 1985, in Irvine, California. Convicted of drug trafficking, she served 10 of a 15-year sentence. Later, she pleaded guilty to three murders in Miami, serving a further 10 years. Released in 2004, she was deported to Colombia, where she was murdered in 2012. The method of her murder mirrored the motorcycle ride-by killings she allegedly invented, delivering a grim poetic justice.
Personal Life
Blanco married multiple times. Her first husband, Carlos Trujillo, fathered three sons who were later killed in Colombia. It is rumored that Blanco had Trujillo killed. Her second husband, Alberto Bravo, died in a gunfight in a Bogotá nightclub parking lot. Her third husband, Darío Sepúlveda, fathered her son Michael Corleone. Blanco had Sepúlveda assassinated after a custody dispute over Michael. Michael was primarily raised by Griselda's mother and other guardians and was sentenced to house arrest in 2012 for cocaine trafficking.
Appearances in Pop Culture
Blanco has been a subject in music, literature, and film. Documentaries like 'Cocaine Cowboys' (2006) and 'Cocaine Cowboys II' (2008) explored her life. She was portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones in 'Cocaine Godmother' (2018) and Sofia Vergara in the Netflix series 'Griselda' (2024). References in songs by The Game, Pusha T, Meek Mill, and others, as well as books and TV shows, attest to her notoriety.
