Sofia Vergara is making headlines for her latest Netflix miniseries, ‘Griselda‘. The actress is playing the character of Griselda Blanco, the infamous drug lord on the show. Shortly after its release, the show has already captivated audiences.
Apart from Vergara’s acting, the other chief thing that has gripped the viewers’ attention is the real-life Griselda Blanco. Vergara plays a woman who once ruled the drug mafia against all odds. Many of the show’s viewers are getting introduced to this woman for the very first time, and are therefore curious. But the thing that has intrigued the viewers most is the fortune amassed by Griselda Blanco.
What Is Griselda Blanco’s Story?
Before Griselda Blanco died in 2012, she ruled the drug mafia and earned a fortune out of it. The show essentially tries to capture every detail of Griselda’s life. Co-written by Doug Miro — who also produced ‘Narcos’ — ‘Griselda‘ has intricately captured the journey of Blanco as she ascends to become one of Colombia’s most notorious drug kingpins.
The narrative unfolds with Blanco’s initial days in the drug trade. Her desire was chiefly driven by a desire to support her family. However, as depicted in the biographical crime drama, Griselda later realizes that the money she is getting from this business is much more than expected. Greed leads Blanco deeper into the world of drug business.
Infamous as the ‘Godmother of Cocaine’, Blanco managed to dominate Miami’s drug scene during the 1980s. But her journey wasn’t easy. It had multiple hurdles in the form of a trail of arrests, violence, and abductions.
Blanco faces an eventual downfall which the series has tactfully brought to the screen. But before her empire crumbled under the weight of deception and paranoia, the woman had managed to amass a staggering fortune from the illegal business.
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How Much Money Did Griselda Blanco Make In Drug Business?
Illegal drug trading is conventionally believed to transform criminals into billionaires. The precedent has been set by figures like Al Capone and Pablo Escobar, who rose to unimaginable wealth after they got into the drug business. While it is now public knowledge that Escobar amassed a staggering $30 billion from his cartel, other drug lords like Griselda Blanco are believed to have minted unbelievable numbers.
Reports indicate that Blanco’s fortune peaked at a jaw-dropping $2 billion, which made her a formidable force in the criminal underworld. With these numbers, Blanco leaves behind Capone, whose net worth was roughly $1.3 billion. However, she falls just a few numbers short compared to Medellín cartel co-founder Carlos Lehder‘s $2.7 billion net worth.
Blanco evaded law enforcement for decades and eventually managed to create a cocaine distribution network between Colombia and major U.S. cities like Miami and New York. Miami’s transformation into a cocaine hub is Blanco’s doing, along with Medellín cartel’s influence. From pickpocketing to overseeing a multi-million dollar drug empire, Blanco’s journey to the depths of criminality, and eventual success and power was definitely worth making a show about.
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