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What Is Griselda Blanco Net Worth?
Griselda Blanco, a notorious figure in the drug trafficking world, amassed a considerable fortune during her lifetime. Her peak net worth was estimated to be around $2 billion. This vast wealth positioned her as one of the wealthiest drug dealers of all time. At the time of her death in 2012, it was believed that Griselda Blanco possessed approximately $500 million worth of real estate. Authorities in the United States seized around $120 million of her property.
Griselda Blanco’s Real Estate Holdings
Griselda Blanco’s real estate portfolio was substantial. At the time of her death, the total value of her real estate holdings was estimated to be around $500 million. Federal authorities seized four of her properties, valued at 2 billion pesos, which at the time was approximately $118.7 million. It is believed that Blanco owned hundreds more properties, including an apartment that cost 550 million pesos, equivalent to about $32.6 million.
Early Life and Career
Born Griselda Blanco Restrepo on February 15, 1943, in Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia, her early life was marked by hardship. At the age of 3, she moved to Medellín with her mother, Ana Lucía Restrepo. By age 13, she was involved in pickpocketing and prostitution. Griselda’s early exposure to violence was evident when, at just 11 years old, she and a group of friends abducted and murdered a 10-year-old boy after his family refused to pay the ransom. To escape sexual abuse by her mother’s boyfriend, Griselda left home at the age of 14.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Griselda Blanco became a key player in the drug trade, operating in Colombia, California, Miami, and New York. In the mid-1970s, she and her second husband, Alberto Bravo, used fake passports to immigrate illegally to the United States. They settled in Queens, New York, where they started a cocaine business. Blanco and more than 30 of her associates were eventually indicted on drug conspiracy charges. To avoid arrest, she returned to Colombia. A few years later, she relocated to Miami, where her operations contributed to the lawlessness and corruption of the Cocaine Cowboy Wars/Miami Drug War. Her drug business was incredibly lucrative, generating $80 million per month. By 1984, her competitors grew weary of her violent tactics and repeatedly attempted to assassinate her, prompting her to move to California.
Arrest and Death
On February 18, 1985, DEA agents arrested Griselda Blanco at her home in Irvine, California. She was held without bail, convicted of drug trafficking, and sentenced to 15 years in prison, though she served only 10. In 1994, she pleaded guilty to three murder charges in Miami and, after making a deal with prosecutors, received a 10-year prison sentence. During her incarceration, Blanco continued to run her cocaine business with the help of her son. She was released in June 2004 and deported to Colombia.
On September 3, 2012, Griselda Blanco was assassinated in Medellín, Colombia. She was shot in the head and shoulder while shopping at Cardiso butcher shop with her pregnant daughter-in-law. The assassin, riding on a motorcycle, shot her twice at close range. In a 2012 article in “The Guardian,” it was noted that Blanco “was credited with inventing the motorcycle ride-by killing.” Professor Bruce Bagley, author of “Drug Trafficking in the Americas,” stated that her death was a form of poetic justice, as she met an end similar to those she had inflicted on so many others.
Personal Life and Relationships
Griselda Blanco’s personal life was tumultuous and marked by violence. She was married several times, with each relationship ending in tragedy. Carlos Trujillo was her first husband, whom she married in 1960. They had three sons: Osvaldo, Uber, and Dixon. All three sons were incarcerated in the United States and later killed after being deported to Colombia. It is rumored that Blanco had Trujillo murdered sometime during the 1970s.
Her second husband, Alberto Bravo, died in 1975 after Blanco confronted him about missing profits from their cartel. The confrontation escalated into a gun battle in a Bogotá nightclub parking lot, resulting in the deaths of Bravo and six bodyguards. Blanco sustained a minor gunshot wound and subsequently relocated to Miami.
She later married Darío Sepúlveda, with whom she had a son named Michael Corleone. In 1983, Darío left Griselda and returned to Colombia. Following a dispute over custody, Darío kidnapped Michael. Griselda had Sepúlveda assassinated, and Michael returned to his mother in Miami. Due to Blanco’s imprisonment during much of Michael’s youth, he was primarily raised by his maternal grandmother and various legal guardians, including a minister. In 2012, Michael was sentenced to house arrest after being arrested for cocaine trafficking. Blanco’s life and career have been the subject of various documentaries, films, and television series.
Appearances in Pop Culture and Media
Griselda Blanco’s life has been a frequent subject in popular culture, inspiring various forms of media. She has been portrayed in documentaries such as “Cocaine Cowboys” (2006) and “Cocaine Cowboys II” (2008), also known as “Cocaine Cowboys II: Hustlin’ With the Godmother.” These documentaries explored her relationship with Charles Cosby later in her life. Cosby contacted Blanco while she was in jail, and they developed a romantic relationship. Catherine Zeta-Jones portrayed Blanco in the 2018 Lifetime biopic “Cocaine Godmother,” while Sofia Vergara starred as her in the 2024 Netflix series “Griselda.”
Her influence extends to music, where she has been referenced in songs such as “See No Evil” by The Game, “Pain” by Pusha T, “Believe It” by Meek Mill and Rick Ross, “blanco griselda” by Soolking, and “Suge” by DaBaby and Nicki Minaj. Lil Kim’s alter ego, “Kimmy Blanco,” is a tribute to her. Blanco is also featured in the 2011 book “American Desperado” by Jon Roberts and the 2014 book “A Brief History of Seven Killings” by Marlon James. Griselda has been portrayed by Maya Rudolph on “Drunk History” and Ana Serradilla on “La Viuda Negra.” The character Amara de Escalones on “Get Shorty” is based on Blanco. She was also discussed on podcasts such as “Behind the Bastards” (June 5, 2018), “She Sleuths” (October 8, 2019), and “Female Criminals” (March 17, 2018, March 18, 2018, and June 14, 2020).
