12 richest criminals of all time

12 richest criminals of all time

Most criminals do not care about the consequences of their actions provided the financial gain commensurated to it. Some believe that crimes pay, though the odds of survival are very bleak. The list of the richest criminals of all time consists of people who have made a great amount of money through crime. Some of them were never caught while others have lost their lives and freedom as a result of their involvement in a crime.

richest criminals
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This list consists of tax evaders, crime ring leaders, drug lords and forgers who believed they needed to get their pay through crimes to get ahead in life. There are thousands of such personalities scattered all over the world. However, the list has been narrowed down to only twelve of them. They are in the spotlight for their unimaginable wealth and lifestyle.

Who is the most powerful criminal in the world?

We know that crime does not pay off for a very long time. Many of the notorious criminals were either captured or shot in the middle of their criminal operations. There are still many of the richest criminals who were never caught, and they lived their normal lives until they died naturally. In this list, you will find people who fit into one of these categories. They amassed so much wealth through their crime life.

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12. John Gotti Jr.

Judging by his net worth of $10 Million in the year 2020, John Gotti Jr is undoubtedly one of the richest criminals in the world. He was known to many people as simply Junior. Gotti was born on the 14th of February, 1964 to a mobster of a father. His father assisted him in starting a trucking business after his graduate school. The business failed, and he went ahead to secure a place for him in the Carpenters Union. This was a few years before he was inducted into the crime world.

The American mobster rose to be the boss of the Gambino crime family. He occupied this position from 1992 to 1999. From the year 2004 to 2009, Teflon Jr appeared in four racketeering trial cases. Just like his father before him, he evaded trials. He is considered the youngest capo in the family of Gambino.

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11. Frank Abagnale

Frank is considered one of the richest criminals ever. Through the life of crime, he has been able to amass a net worth of $10 Million. This is his current net worth in 2020. The American consultant thrived as a check forger and impersonator. He successfully took over eight different identities during his operation.

The list of famous impersonators cannot be complete without Frank Abagnale. He has given up the life of crime, which he embraced at the age of 15 when he clocked twenty-one years. Currently, he lectures at the FBI academy and is also a consultant.

10. Ephren Taylor

Ephren Taylor might be the answer to the question, “who is the richest person in jail?’’ He was the brain behind the swindling of over 400 persons of an amount totaling $16 million.

After he was found guilty of the crime he was accused of, the sitting Judge on his case sentenced him to 19 years and seven months imprisonment. Ephren Taylor has an estimated net worth of $10 Million. He is no doubt, one of the most popular criminals in the USA.

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9. John Gotti

John Gotti is the father of John Gotti Jr. His net worth is approximately $30 million in 2020. He has been on the list of the richest criminals in the world for many years. Gotti is an Italian American gangster known as the boss of the Gambino family.

It was a crime family based in New York City. John was remarkable in the family business. This is evident in his quick rise to becoming one of the highest in the Gambino family.

8. Rayful Edmond

Rayful Edmond is estimated to worth $50 million in 2020. In the 1980s, the American drug lord operated from his base in Washington D.C. It was for his activities that Washington D.C. was referred to as the murder capital of the United States of America. Edmond was famous for bringing the crack cocaine to the Washington D.C.

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7. Big Meech

Big Meech’s brother, Terry Flenory, founded the Black Mafia Family in Detroit in the 1980s. Big Meech was a member of that drug trafficking syndicate. They had a quick expansion in their drug business, and it was reported as of 2000 that their dug trade has already been established in most states in the U.S.

The drug lord is worth $100 Million in 2020. Big is one of the Forbes richest criminals known to us today.

Who is the wealthiest criminal in history?

It is not always difficult to find people who earned a considerable fortune from their criminal activities. Many of them have gone to the great beyond, while many of them are still alive, either serving a jail term or walking freely. Here is a list of a few people known in history as the richest criminals.

6. Al Capone

Al Capone co-founded the Chicago outfit and rose to become the boss. His tenure as chairman was ended at the age of 33 years.

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He is worth approximately $100 million in the year 2020, and he is arguably one of the most known criminals in human history. The American gangster was called Scarface.

5. El Chapo Guzman

El Chapo is reputed as the founder of Sinaloa Cartel. The Mexican drug lord is considered one of the most notorious and influential drug lords and traffickers in Mexico as of 2003.

He accumulated much wealth from his drug dealings both in Mexico and outside the country. Little wonder El Chapo Guzman’s net worth is pitched at $1 Billion in 2020.

4. Griselda Blanco

Griselda Blanco was shot down and dead in the year 2012. She was only 69 years as of that time. Griselda was known to have murdered over two hundred persons in the line of her job. She was part of a syndicate that moved drugs from Colombia to New York. Additionally, she was among the first people who engaged in the cocaine business in Miami as early as the 1950s.

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Many people know her as The Black Widow while others call her La Madrina. Blanco belonged to the Medellin Cartel of Colombia. The Colombia drug lord has a net worth of $2 Billion in 2020.

3. Adnan Khashoggi

Adnan Khashoggi remains one of the richest current criminals in the world today. He has been on the news for his extravagant lifestyle and other lavish business engagements.

In 2020, the Saudi Arabian businessman is worth approximately $2 Billion. He has many business deals throughout the world.

2. Carlos Lehder

Whenever the name Medellin Cartel comes to mind, the name of its co-founder surfaces. Carlos Lehder is known today with his former title of a Colombian drug lord. He controlled a cocaine transportation industry with a location in the Norman’s Cay Island. For many of his crimes, he is serving a prison sentence in the United States of America. The Armenian born has a net worth of $2.7 Billion as of 2020.

1. Leona Helmsley

Who will ever list the richest criminals in the world and exclude the notorious Leona Helmsley? She is the woman who pulled so much weight in the crime industry. The American business mogul is known to be richer than most of her counterparts. She has a jaw-breaking net worth of $8 Billion. Leona Helmsley was referred to as the “Queen of Mean” for being autocratic in her dealings with people around her.

In 1989, the fierce lady was indicted for evading federal income tax. After a thorough investigation, she was found guilty. Leona was convicted of tax evasion and other crimes. Today, she is regarded as one of the richest female criminals in the world.

Compiling the list of richest criminals of all time is a difficult task as the actual net worth of criminals is not in the open. This is because their income does not pass through a legal channel and cannot be accounted for. Hence, it is worth noting that the information presented here is based on the most agreed data on the wealth of these crooks who have their fortune through crimes.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Adeaga Favour (SEO writer) Favour O. Adeaga, an author, speaker, and coach, is a graduate of Mass Communication based in Nigeria. With a few years of experience in the media industry, he curates facts and life hacks category. Favour is the author of Understanding Your Seed: Discover, Deliver and Fulfill Your God-given Assignment on Earth and Before You Step In: Critical Questions Ladies Must Ask Before Saying Yes. As a purpose-driven man, he believes that success lies in the discovery and delivery of one's purpose.