Escobar’s rise to prominence can be attributed to his ruthless business acumen and his ability to build a vast criminal empire. By the 1980s, he had become one of the wealthiest and most influential drug lords in the world. At the height of his power, the Medellín Cartel controlled a significant portion of the global cocaine market. Escobar’s operation was generating an estimated $420 million per week, making him one of the richest men in the world.