What was the name of the feared Colombian cocaine king who headed the Medellin drug cartel until his death in 1993?

The infamous head of the Medellín Cartel was a figure of immense power and brutality who dominated the global cocaine trade throughout the 1980s. Known as the "King of Cocaine," he amassed a fortune so vast that Forbes magazine listed him as one of the world's wealthiest billionaires for seven consecutive years. At the height of his power, his cartel was responsible for smuggling an estimated 80% of the cocaine that entered the United States, earning him billions of dollars annually.

His reign was defined by extreme violence and a policy known as "plata o plomo," or "silver or lead," which gave his targets a grim choice: accept a bribe or face assassination. This ruthless approach was used against countless politicians, judges, and police officers. Despite his monstrous reputation, he cultivated a "Robin Hood" image among the poor in his hometown of Medellín by funding housing projects, schools, and hospitals. This complicated legacy came to an end in 1993 when, after escaping his luxurious self-designed prison, he was killed in a rooftop shootout with Colombian police.