You may have heard about Pablo Escobar more than once in your life - whether you're a Netflix's Narcos fan or not, or when his brother Roberto Escobar recently made international headlines after releasing a groundbreaking foldable smartphone.

More than two decades after his death in 1993, the King of Colombian Cocaine remains as popular as he was height of its power as the head of the Medellín drug cartel. He is a cult classic and often subject of countless books, movies, and songs. But there are things which make Escobar more than just a cartel icon.

Here are some interesting facts about Pablo Escobar, according to Britannica:

His Rise to Power

Before becoming the most well-known drug lord in history, Escobar engaged in various illicit activities. Born to a farmer and a schoolteacher, Escobar began his criminal acts while he was still a teenager, selling fake diplomas. According to some reports, he then expanded this scheme into falsifying report cards before resorting to smuggling stereo equipment and stealing and reselling tombstones. Escobar was able to escape the hands of law until he was first arrested in 1947 for stealing cars. Not long after that, he became an established drug smuggler, and together with his brother Roberto, founded the crime organization by the mid-1970s which later on evolved into the Medellín cartel.

His Extremely Lavish Lifestyle

During Escobar's prime years, the Medellín cartel dominated the cocaine trade, with an estimated $420 million earnings a week making Escobar one of the wealthiest people in the world. Reportedly worth $25 billion, Escobar had ample money to support his lavish lifestyle which included buying private planes, luxurious homes, and holding over-the-top parties. He even reportedly offered to pay off his country's debt of $10 billion in the late 1980s with the condition that he would be exempted from any extradition treaty. Another jaw dropping story for many was when Escobar reportedly burned $2 million in order to keep his daughter warm during the time when his family was running from the authorities from 1992 to 1993. Despite his best efforts or spending - and burning - all his money, however, even Escobar couldn't use all he had acquired from his 'business,' and much of his money was stored in warehouses and fields. According to his brother, while about 10%, or $2.1 billion, was eaten by rats or destroyed by the elements, some were simply lost.

His Hacienda Nápoles

With his lavish living, Escobar owned not only one but quite a number of luxurious residences, but his most-notable property was the 7,000-acre estate known as Hacienda Nápoles located between Bogotá and Medellín. Reportedly costing $63 million, this property included a soccer field, a tennis court, artificial lakes, dinosaur statues, a bullfighting arena, an airstrip, the charred remains of a classic car collection destroyed by a rival cartel, and even a zoo. The front gate of the estate is topped by the plane he used to escape the authorities and fly to the United States. We won't be seeing much of these facilities now as they the properly was later looted by locals, however, this mansion still remains a popular tourist attraction.

His Animal Collection

The private zoo seemed like as jungle as Escobar smuggled some 200 animals which included ostriches, elephants, zebras, giraffes and camels into the country aboard his drug planes. After his death in 1993, most of the animals were scattered to different zoos. However, four hippopotamuses were left behind which soon multiplied, and by 2016, there were already 40 inhabiting the area. Authorities began castrating male hippos to control their population since these animals have damaged farms and inspired fear in locals.

His "Robin Hood" Image

Pablo Escobar was also known for his philanthropic efforts, which led to the locals giving him the nickname "Robin Hood." Perhaps hoping to win the support of everyday Colombians, he built hospitals, stadiums, housing for the poor, and even sponsored soccer teams in the locality. Due to his popularity with many Colombians, he won a seat in the country's Congress in 1982. Two years later he was forced to resign after his criminal activities were exposed by the justice minister. The minister was later on assassinated.