Joaquin Guzman Loera’s nickname, El Chapo, is a name that people all over the world know. El Chapo was a major drug lord when he ran the Sinaloa Cartel, which smuggled cocaine into the US.
Even though El Chapo’s business is illegal, it is hard to tell how much money he has because it is hidden. Still, most people think that his criminal actions helped him make a lot of money.
People say that El Chapo’s wealth is amazing, and he has many nice homes and other expensive things.
In this post, we look into Joaquin Guzman Loera net worth. We look at the rumors and debates about how much money one of the most famous drug lords in the world has.
What is Joaquin Guzman Loera’s Net Worth and Salary in 2023?
Joaquin Guzman Loera, commonly known as El Chapo, was a wealthy Mexican drug kingpin.
At the peak of his power, El Chapo was thought to be worth about $12 billion. Before his arrest in 2016, he was earning approximately $460 million annually through his various illegal businesses.
El Chapo’s wealth primarily came from his involvement in drug trafficking. Prosecutors claimed he trafficked 600,000 kg of cocaine, 200 kg of heroin, and 420,000 kg of marijuana from the early 1990s through 2016.
His estimated net worth after his January 2016 arrest was $1 billion. El Chapo’s personal assets and income are unknown because he was sentenced to life in jail in 2023.
Joaquin Guzman Loera’s Overview
Early Life
Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, commonly known as El Chapo, was born on April 4, 1957, in La Tuna, Badiraguato Municipality, Sinaloa, Mexico.
Guzman came from a working-class farming family. As a child, he was abused by his father, who worked in the drug trade.
Guzman was forced to fend for himself after his family cast him out when he was a teenager. With limited employment opportunities in his hometown, he turned to selling drugs and, by age 15, had cultivated his own marijuana plantation.
Guzman earned the nickname El Chapo during these formative years due to his short stature and stocky build.
Drug Business
Known by his nickname El Chapo, Joaquin Guzman Loera was the ruthless boss of the Sinaloa Cartel. This is undoubtedly one of the world’s most formidable drug cartels.
With no formal education but a brilliant business mind, Guzman rose from humble beginnings selling oranges on the street to controlling between 40% and 60% of the $18 billion to $39 billion worth of drugs flowing into the United States.
His success can be attributed to his innovative strategies and relentless pursuit of expanding his drug empire.
Guzman employed various methods to transport narcotics into the United States, including submarines, carbon fiber airplanes, trains with secret compartments, and transnational underground tunnels.
He diversified the types of drugs his cartel sold, adding methamphetamine to the mix of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana.
Guzman also took over the border cities between Mexico and the United States as well as the countries in Central America, such as:
- Honduras
- El Salvador
- Costa Rica
- Panama.
To ensure the smooth operation of his enterprise, Guzman infiltrated government officials, law enforcement agencies, and even rival cartels by marrying into their families.
He was known for his brutal way of dealing with competition and possible threats. He often used violence and murder to get his point across.
Arrests, Escapes, and Prosecution
He was arrested for drug trafficking in Guatemala in 1993 and extradited to Mexico, where he received a 20-year sentence.
But being in jail didn’t stop him from running the Sinaloa Cartel, which he did while he was locked up. In 2001, El Chapo escaped Puente Grande prison by hiding in a laundry cart, evading authorities for over a decade.
Over this period, his gang expanded, making him one of the world’s most sought criminals. The DEA and the Mexican military collaborated to apprehend him in February 2014 in Mazatlán.
Even though El Chapo was in Altiplano, Mexico’s most secure jail, he escaped through a complex tunnel system in July 2015. In January 2016, he was taken back into custody in Los Mochis, Mexico.
The Mexican authorities extradited him to the US to face drug trafficking, money laundering, and murder conspiracy accusations this time.
El Chapo was convicted of all charges and sentenced to life in jail in February 2019 after a three-month trial.
Personal Life
Guzmán married Alejandrina Mara Salazar Hernández in 1977. They had at least three children: Cesar, Ivan Archivaldo, and Jess Alfredo.
Later, he fell in love with a bank clerk named Estela Peña, whom he kidnapped and eventually married. As head of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, Guzmán became a global drug lord.
In the US, his criminal behavior resulted in several arrests, jail breakouts, and a life sentence. Guzmán’s personal life included relationships, weddings, and children involved in the drug trade.
Real Estate
After Guzmán was caught, the Mexican government took six houses and sold three of them at a sale in November 2019. Even though they wanted to get at least $1 million for each house, they sold them for $107,530, $64,589, and $55,725.
Why is Joaquin Guzman Loera Famous?
Joaquin Guzman Loera, known as El Chapo, is a notorious drug trafficker in Mexico. He was the head of the Sinaloa Cartel, a ruthless criminal organization that supplied the U.S. market with crack cocaine and heroin.
El Chapo gained notoriety because of his ability to evade capture for many years. He was known for his cleverness and ways to escape the police, like making secret tunnels and paying them off.
El Chapo is one of the most well-known criminals because he does illegal things and runs a big drug business.
FAQs about Joaquin Guzman Loera
What was El Chapo’s highest net worth at his peak?
At his peak, El Chapo’s net worth was estimated to be $12 billion US Dollars.
How much money did El Chapo make annually through his businesses before jail?
El Chapo was earning $460 million annually through his businesses before going to jail.
What happened to El Chapo’s wealth after his arrest?
After El Chapo was caught, the Mexican government took some of his property and sold it at auction.
Who is the richest cartel in the world?
The US Intelligence Community considers the Sinaloa Cartel the world’s largest and most powerful drug cartel. It may even be more powerful and skilled than Pablo Escobar’s infamous Medelln Cartel of Colombia was when it was at its peak.
Who is the biggest drug lord now?
Ismael Zambada Garcia, who is also known as El Mayo, is in charge of the group. Zambada, unlike many of Mexico’s top drug lords, has never been caught and has never spent a day in jail. The U.S. Department of State will pay up to $15 million for information that helps catch him.
What is Pablo Escobar net worth?
Pablo Escobar was a drug dealer born in Colombia with a peak net worth of $30 billion dollars. Pablo Escobar was in charge of the Medellin Drug Cartel when he was alive. It was one of the most dangerous and well-known drug gangs in history. At its strongest, the Medellin gang controlled 80% of the cocaine market worldwide.
Conclusion
Ultimately, people are still interested in how much Joaquin Guzman Loera is worth. El Chapo’s illicit activities have made him a lot of money, but it’s hard to know how much.
From his expensive homes to his costly things, it seems like he has a huge amount of money. Visit WCNetworth.com to learn more about the wealth of important people like Joaquin Guzman Loera.
