Son of Pablo Escobar, Leader of Colombia's Medellin Cartel, Joins Celebrities Available to Send Special Messages

Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, the son of the notorious leader of Colombia's Medellin Cartel Pablo Escobar, is now among the celebrities who sell personalized greetings on social media.

According to Infobae, Escobar's son uses the Vibox platform to greet people who are willing to pay. Juan Pablo, who has legally changed his name to Sebastián Marroquín to escape the shadow of being his father's son, reportedly charges US$50 per one-minute greeting that is personalized for those who decide to buy it.

However, if the greeting is for a company, business, or to promote a product, the price is higher, amounting to as high as 10,000 Mexican pesos or almost 500 in U.S. dollars.

Los Andes reported that Escobar's son sends his video greetings with his original name and surname. Vibox works in Mexican pesos. So a video of Juan Pablo for a personal greeting costs 999 pesos, plus 50 pesos for the service, which is equivalent to a total of almost 200,000 in Colombian pesos and 50 in U.S. dollars.

In his profile, Juan Pablo said part of the money would be donated to a foundation. However, he did not specify which one. Other celebrities and personalities also use the Vibox platform to connect with their fans and greet them personally for a price.

Some of the notable individuals on the said platform include Colombian actor Jorge Enrique Abello, Colombian musician Reykon, and Mexican voice actor Mario Castañeda. Argentine model Romina Malaspina is also in the Vibox, charging US$25 per greeting.

Medellin Drug Lord Pablo Escobar and His Son Juan Pablo Escobar Henao

After Pablo Escobar was shot dead in a shootout in his hometown by Colombian National Police in December 1993, Juan Pablo Escobar Henao, his sister Manuela, and his mother left Colombia.

But despite leaving Colombia when he was 16 years old, the media still got its eye on Juan Pablo as he published several books recounting his experiences with his father.

In a 2021 documentary entitled "Escobar by Escobar," Juan Pablo opened up about what it's like living with his father, who founded the infamous Medellin cartel in Colombia.

In the documentary, Juan Pablo said that his dad gave him his first motorbike when he was four, and by 11, he already had at least 27 motorbikes. Escobar's son noted that his "father was one of the richest men on the planet."

During his father's golden age, Juan Pablo said his dad had 200,000 acres planted with cocaine and earned an average income of between 50 and 70 million dollars per weekend.

The now 44-year-old son of Pablo Escobar also shared his experience when his father took them with him while escaping the authorities. He said his father asked them to hide with him "because we couldn't be safe outside."

Juan Pablo noted that they would go from place to place blindfolded and stay in at least six different safe houses. He said he last saw his father alive when they were in Casa Azul, where they were hiding at the time.

Juan Pablo noted that his father cried when they were about to leave him after the family realized that being with the cocaine kingpin was not safe for them.

"Before we left, he came towards us, hugged me, he wanted to speak, but he could not utter a word. It was the first time I saw him cry. When we were about to leave, my dad followed us in a car, he honked a couple of times and carried on his way... That was the last time I saw my father alive. It was like a final goodbye," Juan Pablo noted.

Juan Pablo Escobar Henao is an architect, writer, industrial designer, and lecturer. He currently resides in Argentina.

Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel in Colombia

Pablo Escobar was born in 1949 in Rionegro, Colombia, and founded a cocaine cartel in the 1970s in Medellin.

The Medellin Cartel supplied approximately 80 percent of the cocaine imported into the United States at its most successful stage. For seven years, Pablo Escobar's fortune catapulted him onto the Forbes ranking of global billionaires.

Escobar avoided arrest after the U.S. released an extradition warrant and his men attacked officials, police, and journalists. In total, authorities assumed Escobar was liable for about 4,000 killings.

His modest origins made him famous with some of the Colombians whose patronage he cultivated by spending vast sums of money and investing in Medellín's impoverished communities.

From 1987 until 1993, Pablo Escobar made the Forbes list of world billionaires. He was ranked as the world's seventh-richest man in 1989. His wealth figures reportedly run as high as $30 billion at the time.

Pablo Escobar was killed a day after he celebrated his 44th birthday. Colombian forces discovered his hideout in Medellin. He was fatally shot after a chase and gunfight ensued.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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