How much money did Griselda Blanco make?

Sofia Vergara’s version of the drug lord has been making waves on Netflix, but how much money did Griselda Blanco make in real life?

As was true in life, the journey to creating Griselda Blanco onscreen has been nothing short of eventful. From set injuries to Blanco’s real-life family having their own issues with the series, the six-episode show has proved popular.

There has also been plenty of debate surrounding how much of a “feminist” pillar the streaming platform has made her out to be, after marketing her as a fiercely independent woman.

Regardless of opinion, one thing Griselda Blanco did was rake in the cash.

How much money did Griselda Blanco make?

At the height of her drug empire, Griselda Blanco was suspected to be worth approximately $2 billion, which means she made around $80 million a month.

If true, Griselda earned as much as $2.6 million in one day at her peak. No wonder this quickly meant that Blanco became worth more than the notorious American gangster Al Capone, valued at around $1.3 billion.

In the Netflix series, we see Blanco move from Colombia in the 1980s, starting up her drug empire from scratch. She went much further in reality, with her distribution network spanning from New York to California and beyond.

Alongside her well-known trade, it was also believed that Blanco owned about $500 million worth of real estate, with $120 million later being seized by American authorities.

Griselda Blanco was first arrested in 1985, after being charged with conspiring to manufacture, import, and distribute cocaine. Her case was then taken to New York City where she was found guilty, with her sentence initially spanning 15 years.

She was later also found guilty of second-degree murder after a lengthy process of conviction, colliding with ill health around 2002. By 2004, it was agreed that Blanco would return to Medellín in Colombia – the city she originally set out to run away from.

Griselda is streaming on Netflix now. You can read more about the Griselda cast, how did Griselda Blanco’s sons die, or why is Griselda Blanco called the Black Widow.