Pablo escobar had so much cash that it is estimated that rats ate an estimated 2 1 billion usd of his money each year

Pablo Escobar: The Rat-Eaten Billions

Pablo Escobar, the notorious Colombian drug lord, was known for his unimaginable wealth and excesses. His empire was built on drug trafficking, making him one of the wealthiest criminals in history, with an estimated net worth of $30 billion USD. However, his vast fortune came with its own set of problems, including the unbelievable amount of money being eaten by rats.

It is estimated that rats devoured a staggering $2.1 billion USD of Escobar’s money each year. This mind-boggling figure illustrates the sheer scale and magnitude of his wealth. But how did this bizarre scenario come to be?

During the peak of his power and influence in the 1980s, Escobar had accumulated such vast amounts of cash that he struggled to find a way to store it all. Stashing it in banks or burying it underground posed significant risks of discovery by law enforcement agencies or rival cartels. As a result, Escobar needed alternative storage methods that would keep his fortune hidden and secure.

Escobar found a rather unconventional solution - he decided to stockpile his wealth in various safe houses, warehouses, and even ordinary homes. But keeping such massive amounts of cash in these locations had its own set of challenges. One of the most significant obstacles was the constant threat from moisture, mold, and pests, including rats.

With wads of cash stacked in these secret locations, rats found their way to Escobar’s hidden stashes. Their insatiable appetite for paper meant that massive quantities of banknotes were gradually consumed. These voracious rodents chewed through bundles of money, turning them into shredded pieces of worthless paper.

The scale of Escobar’s rat problem was so significant that the notorious drug lord devised a unique way to combat the issue. He began using rubber bands to bind his currency stacks tightly together. This method ensured that even if rats managed to chew through outer layers, the money would remain intact. Escobar’s use of rubber bands became so synonymous with him that the term “rubber band economics” was coined to describe his ingenious solution.

This fascinating anecdote sheds light on the extraordinary lengths Escobar went to protect and preserve his fortune. Despite facing constant threats from rival cartels, law enforcement agencies, and even wildlife, Escobar’s wealth remained largely intact. The sheer volume of rat-eaten money highlights both the unimaginable quantities of cash involved and the unique challenges faced by Escobar’s criminal empire.

To this day, the story of rats devouring billions of dollars remains a testament to the excesses and eccentricities of one of history’s most infamous drug lords. While the specifics of the estimates may be debated, the overall truth stands as a reminder of the extravagant lifestyle led by Pablo Escobar - a life characterized by overwhelming wealth, power, and the bizarre phenomenon of rats feasting on his fortune.

Source: Business Insider