Top 10 Richest Criminals in the World

Richest Criminals in the world — Criminal activities are definitely unacceptable and attract several kinds of punishments. But some people would stop at nothing to carry out their agendas regardless so far it fetches money. It is true that even with the saying that “bad things yield bad results”, some people have successfully turned around the narrative by making a lot of money; a huge sum of it just by doing a lot of bad things. And even some of the “good-doers” cannot boast of having or ever having a like fortune.

These criminals have made a whole lot of fortunes that could even take care of their generations to come if their wealth is not tampered with. Some even make it to the list of the richest people or most powerful people in the world, how interesting. This however does not or cannot rule out the fact that “bad is bad”, there is no two way to it. Meanwhile, for a better understanding of all of these, RNN has compiled a list of the richest criminals in the world.

Good to know before attempting to follow in their footsteps that, criminals are not free people no matter the amount of money they make. They are always wanted and tend to even have shorter lives due to the fact that they might end up being killed on sight.

What about conscience? Being a criminal isn’t as easy as it seems yeah; having to hurt your fellow humans and doing things that are demeaning to your existence as a human. Not everyone can live with this guilt, so, you should know you have to think 10 times more if you are ever considering being one of them. It’s time to get down to the compiled list.

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Richest Criminals in the World

1. Amado Carillo Fuentes – $25 Billion

Richest Criminal in the World – Amado Carillo Fuentes

Amado Carrillo Fuentes popularly known as the Lord Of The Skies was the head of the Mexican Juarez Cartel. He was an extravagant mafia that controlled over 22 private 727 jet airlines and other private planes which he used in importing Cocaine. This mafia boss would import drugs from Mexico and Colombia and smuggle them into the United States. He was named by the DEA as the most powerful drug trafficker of his era. Unfortunately for him, and fortunately for others, he died while undergoing plastic surgery for an appearance altercation in 1997.

Before his death, he was estimated to have a net worth of $25 billion, making him the richest criminal in the world.

2. Pablo Escobar – $25 Billion

Richest Criminals in the World – Pablo Escobar

Pablo Escobar of Colombia is quite popular for his criminal activities in the world and is regarded as the most notorious drug lord. He was the controller of the Medellin Cartel which was responsible for importing billions of dollars of cocaine into the United States. Pablo Escobar was known for using his wealth as a bribing medium to officials so as to carry out his activities unhindered and protected. And he has the culture of having officials who wouldn’t take his bribes killed; very ruthless.

With his net worth of $25 billion, he was named the 7th richest man in the world. And he is also the 2nd richest criminal in the world. In 1993, Pablo Escobar was killed by Colombian forces with assistance from the United States after he escaped from a Colombian prison.

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3. Leona Helmsley – $8 Billion

Leona Helmsley was an American businesswoman who is popularly known for her oppressive behaviour, earning her the title “Queen of Mean”. She was known for being mean to her family, employees, and even friends. In 1989, Leona Helmsley was investigated and convicted of federal income tax evasion and other crimes. With her accumulated wealth, she was able to make up a huge net worth of $8 billion, making her one of the richest criminals in the world.

4. Carlos Lehder – $2.7 Billion

Richest Criminals in the World – Carlos Lehder

Carlos Lehder is a German-Colombian drug dealer and one of the richest criminals in the world. He is quite popular for running a massive cocaine distribution network near his own private island in the Bahamas and working with other big names such as Pablo Escobar in the drug industry. Due to a large number of crimes, he became wanted and was later arrested and jailed by the United States. Fortunately for him, his sentence was reduced and he now resides in Germany after completing his sentence. Having accumulated a net worth of $2.7 million, Carlos Lehder is considered the 4th richest criminal in the world.

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5. Adnan Khashoggi – $2 Billion

Adnan Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian businessman and one of the richest criminals in the world. He is known for the extravagant life he lived and also, his many huge business deals. Adnan Khashoggi was an arms dealer and served as the Head of the Triad International Holding Company; a multinational private investment corporation.

In the early 1980s, he was listed as one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $4 billion. This also got him the nickname “Great Gatsby of the Middle East”. However, come 2022 he is the fifth richest criminal in the world with a net worth of $2 billion.

6. Griselda Blanco – $2 Billion

Griselda Blanco was a Colombian drug lord of the Medellin Cartel and a frontiersperson in the Miami-based cocaine drug trade in the 1950s. She was said to have been responsible for over 200 murders while transporting drugs from Colombia to New York. Griselda Blanco died in 2012 when she was shot and killed at the age of 69.

Her nicknames were La Madrina, The Black Widow (she was named because she had like three husbands that died) and the cocaine mother.

However, she is the 6th richest criminal in the world and has accumulated a net worth of up to $2 billion before her death.

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7. Jaoquin Loera Guzman El Chapo – $1 Billion

El Chapo Guzman is a Mexican drug lord who ran the logistics for the Guadalajara and Sinaloa Cartels. The cartels dealt mainly with cocaine but some heroin was produced in Colombia and delivered to Mexico. He became an expert at organizing planes, boats, trains, and trucks to carry drugs to the United States and Europe. When the cartel’s top leaders were arrested, El Chapo took control.

In 1993, El Chapo was arrested in Guatemala and sentenced to 20 years in a Mexican prison. And in 2001, he escaped after bribing several guards. Following his escape, American law enforcement placed a bounty of $5 million on him, but he managed to be on the run for more than a decade. In 2014, he was arrested again but he escaped again in 2015, only for him to be re-captured in 2016.

El Chapo is regarded as one of the most powerful traffickers in the world. And in 2003, the mafia boss was crowned Mexico’s top drug king. With a net worth of $1 Billion, he is the 7th richest criminal in the world.

8. Frank Costello – $1 Billion

Frank Costello was an Italian-American Mafia gangster and crime boss. During his life, he ran one of the top and most powerful criminal organizations in history. Before his death in 1973, his empire had generated a revenue of up to $60 billion. However, with his net worth of $1 billion, he is one of the richest criminals in history.

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9. Carlo Gambino – $400 Million

Carlo Gambino was a Sicilian-American Mobster and Crime Family Mafia boss. He is one of the richest criminals in history with a net worth of $400 million. He died in 1976.

Carlo Gambino is also known as one of the private richest criminals in history.

10. Jho Low – $150 Million

Richest Criminals in the World – Jho Low

Jho Low is a Malaysian criminal businessman with a net worth of $150 million. He is the 10th richest criminal in the world. He is currently wanted by the Malaysian authorities for his connection with the 1MDB scandal. The tenth richest criminal in history is however believed to be in hiding out in rural China. But, he has not been captured to date.

Graphical Representation of the Richest Criminals’ Net Worth

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Richest Criminals in the World: 2022

• Amado Carillo Fuentes – $25 Billion
• Pablo Escobar – $25 Billion
• Leona Helmsley – $8 Billion
• Carlos Lehder – $2.7 Billion
• Adnan Khashoggi – $2 Billion
• Griselda Blanco – $2 Billion
•  Jaoquin Loera – $1 Billion
• Frank Costello – $1 Billion
• Carlo Gambino – $400 Million
• Jho Low – $150 Million

Who is the Richest Criminal in the World?

Amado Carillo Fuentes is ranked the richest criminal in the world, having accumulated up to $25 billion wealth in his lifetime. While he was alive, he was said to have controlled over 22 private 727 jet airlines including other private planes. He uses all of them for drug importation from Mexico and Colombia and smuggles them into the United States. Amado Carillo Fuentes was no doubt a notorious criminal and he even got himself a name as the most powerful drug trafficker of his era (DEA ranked). He later died in 1977 whilst undergoing an appearance altercation surgery.