Top 25 list of the richest criminals in the world: ranked in order (2024)

Crime is risky, and the notion that it pays more than any lawful work is deeply rooted in society. As a result, the names of criminals never stop cropping up. From drug dealers to fraudsters, this list sifts through the notably richest criminals in the world while including details of their net worth, how they made their wealth and where they are.

Richest criminals in the world. Photo: Allan Tannenbaum, STR/LatinContent (modified by author) Source: Getty Images

If you thought Pablo Escobar was one of the richest criminals in the world, you are mistaken. The criminals in this list made more than he did. So, who are the top 10 gangsters in the world?

Who is the wealthiest criminal ever?

This list gives an overview of various crimes and how these infamous offenders illegally made a fortune. Some are still serving their sentences, others released, some have passed, and others are fugitives.

Top 25 list of the richest criminals in the world

The wealthiest criminals on record acquired their fortunes through a combination of criminal activities and professional pursuits.

25. Scott Tucker – $100,000

A photo of Scott Tucker. Photo: @TheScottTucker (modified by author) Source: UGC

• Full name: Scott Tucker
• Date of birth: 30 January 1962
• Age: 61 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Scott Tucker was convicted for loan shark, fraudster and money laundering. He used illegal funds to finance his own sports car endurance racing team. Scott Tucker’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $100,000.

24. Mary Kay Letourneau – $400,000

Mary Letourneau, 43, and her fiance Vili Fualaau, 22, and their two children drive along the beach from their home on May 8, 2005 in the Seattle suburb Normandy Park, WA. Photo: Ron Wurzer Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Mary Kay Letourneau
• Date of birth: 30 January 1962
• Died: 6 July 2020
• Place of birth: Des Moines, Washington, United States

Mary Kay Letourneau was a sex offender who pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of felony. She was charged with second-degree rape of a child. At the time of her death, Mary Kay Letourneau’s net worth was alleged to be $400,000.

23 Charles Manson – $400,000

Charles Manson, who led a cult that committed murders in Los Angeles in the sixties, is clean-shaven in a closeup photo. Photo: Bettmann Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Charles Milles Maddox
• Date of birth: 12 November 1934
• Died: 19 November 2017
• Place of birth: Bakersfield, California, United States

Charles Manson was a criminal, cult leader and musician who led the Manson Family, a cult based in California. He was charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder for the deaths of seven people. Charles Manson’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $400,000.

22. Sammy Gravano – $500,000

Salvatore Gravano, nicknamed “Sammy the Bull”, at the Capitol Photo: Jeffrey Markowitz Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Sammy Gravano
• Date of birth: 12 March 1945
• Age: 78 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Sammy Gravano joined the Cosa Nostra crime family at the age of 23. He committed minor offences such as hijacking, theft and armed robbery.

All his charges were dried, and he was released from prison. Sammy Gravano’s net worth is currently estimated to be $500,000. He has a YouTube channel and is very active on Instagram, with 167k followers as of writing.

21. Lee D’Avanzo – $500,000

• Full name: Lee D’Avanzo
• Date of birth: 1969
• Age: 54 years old as of (2024)

Lee D’Avanz was the head of the New Springville Boys, who functioned under the Bonnano and Colombo Crime Families. In 2020 he was sentenced to 64 months in prison for multiple firearms possession. Lee D’Avanzo’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $500,000.

20. Michael Franzese – $1 million

Former New York mobster/captain of the Colombo crime family Michael Franzese arrives at the premiere of ‘God The Father at The Los Feliz 3 Cinema in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Angela Weiss Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Michael Franzese Grillo
• Date of birth: 27 May 1951
• Age: 72 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Michael Franzese is an American former mobster and the captain of the Colombo crime family. He was indicted on 14 counts of racketeering, extortion and counterfeiting, resulting in a 10-year prison sentence and $14 million in restitution. Michael Franzese’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $1 million.

19. Freeway Rick Ross – $1 million

Freeway Rick Ross visits SiriusXM at SiriusXM Studios in New York City. Photo: Bennett Raglin Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Ricky Donnell Ross
• Date of birth: 26 January 1960
• Age: 63 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Terrell, Texas, United States

Freeway Rick Ros is an American convicted drug trafficker who ran a massive drug empire in Los Angeles. At the peak of his career, he raked in $3 million daily, and his peak net worth was $600 million.

He was sentenced to life in prison, although he appealed, and after 20 years, Freeway was released in 2009. Freeway Rick Ros’ net worth is estimated to be approximately $1 million.

18. Hector “Junior” Pagan – $1 million

A portrait of Hector Junior Pagan. Photo: @Cosa Nostra News (modified by author) Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Hector Junior Pagan
• Date of birth: 1967
• Age: 56 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Hector Junior Pagan is a former associate of the Bonnano crime family, one of the richest crime organisations. He has been in and out of prison for his involvement in mob life. Hector Pagan’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $1 million.

17. John Gotti Jr – $10 million

John Gotti, Jr. attends the photocall for “Rendezvous With John Travolta – Gotti” during the 71st annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. Photo: Antony Jones Source: Getty Images

• Full name: John Angelo Gotti
• Date of birth: 14 February 1964
• Age: 59 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Queens, New York, United States

John Gotti Jr is a former mobster who was allegedly the boss of the Gambino family between 1992 and 1999 after his father, John Gambino, was sentenced to prison.

Even though he was charged with four racketeering charges, they ended in mistrials since no conviction would stick. He reportedly is no longer associated with organised crime. John Gotti Jr’s net worth is guessmated at $10 million.

16. Ephren Taylor – $10 million

A photo of Ephren Taylor II. Photo: @Black Boys Rock (modified by author) Source: UGC

• Full name: Ephren Taylor
• Date of birth: 17 July 1982
• Age: 41 years old as of (2024)

Epheren Taylor is a notorious American businessman who obtained wealth mainly from his fraudulent operations. Epheren Taylor’s net worth is estimated to be $10 million.

15. Frank Abagnale – $10 million

Frank Abagnale attends the Broadway opening night of Catch Me If You Can at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York City. Photo: Neilson Barnard Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Frank William Abagnale Jr
• Date of birth: 27 April 1948
• Age: 75 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: The Bronx, New York, United States

Frank Abagnale is an American security consultant. Frank Abagnale’s net worth at the height of his career was $10 million. He is infamous for his history as a former impostor with more than eight identities, and he was arrested and served a 10-year prison sentence between 1970 and 1980.

14. Paul Castellano – $20 million

Paul Castellano (left) and Anthony Salerno leave Federal Court after posting $2 million bail each. Photo: Bettmann Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Constantino Paul Castellano
• Date of birth: 26 June 1915
• Assassinated: 16 December 1985
• Place of birth: New York City, New York, United States

Paul Castellano was an American mafia boss who died in 1985. He was the head of the Gambino crime family, one of the richest criminal organisations after Carlo Gambino. Paul Castellano’s net worth is alleged to be $20 million at the time of his death which is around $50 million today.

13. John Gotti – $30 million

Mafia boss John Gotti, aka ‘The Dapper Don,’ is photographed on a street corner in New York City. Photo: Yvonne Hemsey Source: Getty Images

• Full name: John Joseph Gotti Jr.
• Date of birth: 27 October 1940
• Died: 10 June 2002
• Place of birth: St. John Cemetery, Queens, New York City, United States

John Gotti was the boss of New York’s Gambino crime family and was convicted of numerous criminal offences in 1992. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 61. At the time of his death, John Gotti’s net worth was alleged to be $30 million.

12. Nicky Barnes – $50 million

A portrait of Leroy Nicholas Barnes. Photo: @Al Heitzer (modified by author) Source: UGC

• Full name: Leroy Nicholas Barnes
• Date of birth: 15 October 1933
• Died: 2012
• Place of birth: New York City, New York, United States

Nicholas Barnes was an American boss active in the 1970s. He formed The Council, a seven-man organized crime that controlled a huge part of the drug trade in the Harlem area of New York City. Nicky Barnes’ net worth had reached over $50 million at the height of his career but reduced to $500 thousand at the time of his death.

11. Rayful Edmond – $50 million

Rayful Edmond at a public hearing at One Judiciary Square, DC’s government building for public services, in Washington, DC, in June 2019. Photo: The Washington Post Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Rayful Edmond III
• Date of birth: 26 November 1964
• Age: 59 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Washington, D.C., United States

Rayful Edmond was a former drug lord in the ’80s. He was arrested in 1989 and sentenced to two life terms, although he later struck a deal with law enforcement officers to become a government informant. Rayful Edmond’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $50 million.

10. Big Meech – $100 million

• Full name: Demetrius Edward Flenory Sr.
• Date of birth: 21 June 1968
• Age: 55 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Big Meech is an American convicted drug dealer running the infamous Black Mafia family. He pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in 2005 and was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. Big Meech’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $100 million, making him one of the top 10 richest criminals in the world.

9. Bugsy Siegel – $100 million

Bugsy Siegel, a Hollywood night life figure, is shown after being taken from his luxurious Holmby Hills home for questioning in Los Angeles. Photo: Bettmann Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Bugsy Siegel
• Date of birth: 28 February 1906
• Assassinated: 20 June 1947
• Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, United States

Busy Siegel, an American mobster whose net worth was $100 million when he died, was one of the most feared gangsters of his time. Siegel, who was influential in the National Crime Syndicate, died in 1947. Bugsy Siegel’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $100 million.

8. Al Capone – $100 million

Al Capone on the day of his release from jail, Chicago, 1939. He moved to Palm Island, Florida, never to take over his old crime organization, and died of pneumonia in 1947. Photo: Chicago Sun-Times Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Alphonse Gabriel Capone
• Date of birth: 17 January 1899
• Died: 25 January 1947
• Place of birth: New York City, United States

How rich was Al Capone in today’s money? Al Capone’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $100 million, or almost $1.5 billion in today’s currency. But just before he passed away, Capone allegedly forgot where he stashed his riches.

He was the boss of Chicago Outfit, the organised crime syndicate. He was charged with possessing a concealed weapon and tax evasion leading to an 11-year sentence.

7. Jho Low -$150 million

Jynwel Capital Limited CEO Jho Low attends the 2014 Social Good Summit at 92Y in New York City. Photo: Taylor Hill Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Low Taek Jho
• Date of birth: 4 November 1981
• Age: 42 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Jho Low is a Malaysian fugitive businessman and criminal, one of the richest criminals never caught. He is a wanted man for allegedly masterminding a global scheme that embezzled $4.5 billion from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. Jho Low’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $150 million.

6. Joaquín Guzmán – $1 billion

Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman is escorted into a helicopter at Mexico City’s airport following his recapture during an intense military operation in Los Mochis, in Sinaloa State. Photo: Alfredo Estrella Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera
• Date of birth: La Tuna, Badiraguato Municipality, Sinaloa, Mexico
• Age: 66 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: 4 April 1957

Joaquín Guzmán, famously known as El Chapo, is a former Mexican drug kingpin. He is infamously known as the former Sinaloa Drug Cartel head who masterminded a large-scale drug trafficking syndicate between Mexico and the USA.

Guzmán was nabbed in 2014, although he escaped from prison in 2015 and was re-arrested in 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. Joaquín Guzmán’s net worth is currently $1 billion.

5. Frank Costello – $1 billion

Frank Costello, the alleged kingpin of America’s slot machine arrested by G-men and lodged in the federal house of detention after failure to raise $75,000 bail. Photo: Bettmann Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Francesco Castiglia
• Date of birth: 26 January 1891
• Died: 18 February 1973
• Place of birth: Cassano allo Ionio, Italy

Frank Costello was an Italian-American Mafia leader and one of the top richest criminals in the world. Frank Costello’s net worth peaked at $1 billion at the time of his death in 1973. He ran one of the wealthiest crime organisations, which generated $60 billion in revenue at its peak.

4. Adnan Khashoggi – $2 billion

Adnan Khashoggi at The Olympic Tower in New York, USA, in 1986. Photo: @Wolfgang Kuhn Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Adnan Khashoggi
• Date of birth: 25 July 1935
• Died: 6 June 2017
• Place of birth: London, United Kingdom

Adnan Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian businessman, once listed as the world’s richest person in the ’80s, with a peak net worth of $4 billion. He was involved in bribery scandals and was later arrested for racketeering and concealing funds.

He was detained for three months and later acquitted by a federal jury. Adnan Khashoggi’s net worth is estimated to be $2 billion.

3. Griselda Blanco – $2 billion

Griselda Blanco also famously known as the Black Widow. Photo: @wilmairo Source: UGC

• Full name: Griselda Blanco Restrepo
• Date of birth: 14 February 1943
• Died: 2012
• Place of birth: Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia

Griselda Blanco, famously known as the Black Widow, was one of the richest criminals. She was an infamous drug trafficker in the Medellín Cartel and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Griselda was murdered in 2012. Griselda Blanco’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $2 billion.

2. Carlos Lehder – $2.7 billion

Carlos Lehder, the of the Medellin cartel present in jail in the USA in Colombia. Photo: Eric Source: Getty Images

• Full name: Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas
• Date of birth: 7 September 1949
• Age: 74 years old as of (2024)
• Place of birth: Armenia, Colombia

Carlos Lehder, a former German-Colombian drug lord, was co-founder of the Medellín Cartel. He was famously known as one of the richest criminals who ran a massive drug distribution syndicate in the Bahamas.

Carlos served a 33-year prison sentence in the USA and was released in 2020. Carlos Lehder’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $2.7 billion.

1. Leona Helmsley – $5 billion

Leona Helmsley circa 1989 in New York City. Photo: PL Gould Source: UGC

• Full name: Lena Mindy Rosenthal
• Date of birth: 4 July 1920
• Died: 20 August 2007
• Place of birth: Marbletown, New York, United States

Leona Helmsley was an American condominium broker and the wife of Harry Helms Helmsley, a multimillionaire real estate investor. Harry divorced his wife of 33 years and married Leona, and together they built a real estate empire in New York City.

In the late 80s, Leona was convicted of federal income tax evasion and sentenced to 16 years in prison but reduced to 19 months and two months under house arrest. She passed away in August 2007. Leona Helmsley’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $5 billion, making her one of the richest criminals in the world.

Who was the richest Italian mobster?

Al Capone is known to be one of the richest Italian mobsters. His net worth is estimated to be approximately $100 million, or almost $1.5 billion in today’s currency.

Who is the richest person in the world?

According to Forbes, Elon Musk tops the list of the richest man in the world with a net worth of $251.3 billion. The second richest is Bernard Arnault & family, with $200.7 billion.

This list of the richest criminals in 2024 shows how rampant crime syndicates are, and it is also an eye-opener of how offenders capitalise on crime to amass wealth and how their lives pan out. A few of these figures are reformed convicts.

Briefly.co.za compiled a list of the top 15 famous engineers of all time ranked. Engineers are professionals whose ingenuity and problem-solving skills have brought inventions that make lives easier. They continue to create the foundation for an infinitely promising future while shaping our world as it exists today.

Inventors and innovators whose works have influenced humankind in one way or another are listed among the notable engineers. They are among the greatest in the industry and well-known for their innovative inventions.