Manuela Escobar is the only daughter of the Colombian drug lord and narco-terrorist Pablo Escobar. Considering that her doting father’s cartel supplied an estimated 80% of the cocaine smuggled into the United States, turning over $21.9 billion a year in personal income at the height of his career, it’s safe to say that Manuela lived on a bed of roses.
However, while her father is one of the most popular personalities to ever live, very little remains are known about the drug lord’s only daughter. Here are a few things we have learned so far about her.
Growing Up As The Daughter Of A Drug Lord
Manuela was born on the 25th of May 1984, to Pablo Escobar and Maria Victoria Henaoas in Colombia. She is one of two children born to her mother, the other being a brother named Juan Pablo.
One of the interesting facts about growing up as the daughter of a drug lord is you get to experience a different side to your father’s violent and ruthless reputation. Getting raised under The King of Cocaine, Manuela was privy to all the luxury and enjoyment you would expect from a modern-day tech billionaire.
Not only did she enjoy all the comfort money could buy but she also experienced a different side of Escobar. To Manuela, Pablo was a loving father who went to any length to show his love and affection for his family.
Some of those extreme lengths include arranging tutors who came to teach her in their various secret hideouts, attempting to turn a horse into a unicorn for her (the horse died in the process). Another also includes the famous story, of Pablo burning cash bills of up to $2 million to keep her warm while they hid in the Medellin mountainside.
However, growing up as the daughter of Pablo Escober wasn’t always fun for Manuela. Before she could walk, she was constantly on the run, fleeing the authorities. As a result, she grew up without any sense of stability, which meant she couldn’t attend a school like a normal child. This eventually reached its tipping point when she was 9 years of age. Following a dramatic shootout in December 1993, Manuela Escobar lost her father forever.
Manuela Escobar’s Life After The Death of Pablo Escobar
With the all-powerful patriarch of the Escobar family dead, Manuela and the rest of the family moved from country to country to stay out of the reach of the authorities. With her mother and brother, they ran to countries like Brazil, Peru, South Africa, and Mozambique.
Eventually, they found asylum in Argentina. In Buenos Aires, the family lived under a new name, including Manuela Escobar whose name changed to Juana Manuela Marroquin Santos.
In Buenos Aires, Manuela and the rest of her family lived a quiet life. She joined a local school and got educated like a regular child. Her mother, Maria Henao became a real estate entrepreneur. Unfortunately, this stability did not last for long.
After one of her mother’s business associates discovered her true identity, a series of incidents led to their exposure to the authorities. Manuela’s life was once again upended, this time by the arrest of her mother and brother, Juan.
Where Is She Now?
After the release of Manuela’s mother and brother for money laundering, the two of them embraced their identity. Juan and Maria maintained a presence in the media spotlight, giving interviews and public appearances. Juan also wrote and published a book, Pablo Escobar: My Father, which he released in 2014. He was also the subject of a 2009 Argentine documentary, Sins of My Father.
However, Manuela Escobar, who was her father’s favorite, continues to live outside of the media spotlight. A decision many have found surprising considering she is the only member of her family who has never been arrested.
As a result of her secrecy, Manuela’s whereabouts remain unknown to the public, and the drug lord’s daughter seems content with living outside of her father’s large dark shadows.
What Is Manuela Escobar Net Worth?
Considering drug lords and drug businesses are a part of an informal economy, it is very difficult to track wealth transfers and other assets left to their families after their passing. Thus, while Pablo Escobar might have had a net worth of $30 billion at the peak of his career, how much of it made it onto the hands of Manuela Escobar remains unknown.
One thing we know for sure is, with her father’s name and her mother’s real estate business success, Manuela Escobar likely continues to enjoy a slice of the luxury she enjoyed as a child.
