El Chapo Guzmán became one of the most famous drug lords in history, leading the Sinaloa cartel and controlling a large part of the international drug trafficking.

At its peak, the criminal organization is estimated to have generated weekly revenues close to 400 million dollars. This catapulted Guzmán onto the lists of the wealthiest men on the planet, with a fortune estimated at around 20 billion dollars.

The Mexican kingpin leveraged his immense wealth to bribe politicians, law enforcement agents, and judicial officials, thereby ensuring the impunity of his empire. He even proposed paying a multimillion-dollar sum to the government in exchange for avoiding his extradition to the United States.

Despite the violence associated with his activities, El Chapo cultivated an image of a benefactor among the lower classes. He financed infrastructure projects in marginalized communities, such as the construction of roads, schools, and health centers in rural areas of Sinaloa.