The top 25 richest gangsters of all time: How much are/were they worth?
They say that crime does not pay. Well, this statement is somewhat controversial because the richest gangsters of all time are known for accumulating large sums of cash. These criminals are known for fraud, money laundering, and dealing in illegal substances. Discover who they are and much more about their lives.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Overview of the richest gangsters of all time
- Richest gangsters of all time
- 25. Mary Kay Letourneau - $400,000
- 24. Charles Manson - $400,000
- 23. Frank Lucas - $500,000
- 22. Sammy Gravano - $500,000
- 21. Lee D'Avanzo - $500,000
- 20. Nicky Barnes - $500,000
- 19. Big Meech - $500,000
- 18. Michael Franzese - $1 million
- 17. Freeway Rick Ross - $1 million
- 16. Hector "Junior" Pagan - $1 million
- 15. John Gotti Jr - $10 million
- 14. Ephren Taylor - $10 million
- 13. Frank Abagnale - $10 million
- 12. Paul Castellano - $20 million
- 11. John Gotti - $30 million
- 10. Rayful Edmond - $50 million
- 9. Bugsy Siegel - $100 million
- 8. Al Capone - $100 million
- 7. Jho Low - $150 million
- 6. Joaquín Guzmán (El Chapo) - $1 billion
- 5. Frank Costello - $1 billion
- 4. Adnan Khashoggi - $2 billion
- 3. Griselda Blanco - $2 billion
- 2. Carlos Lehder - $2.7 billion
- 1. Leona Helmsley - $5 billion
- What is Frank Lucas' net worth today?
- Who is the biggest gangster in India?
- Who was the biggest gangster?
- Who is the richest gangster in the world?
- Who is the world's no.1 gangster?
- Who is the most powerful gangster alive today?
This list is strictly based on the net worth of the richest gangsters of all time. It may be subjective because some famous criminals' net worth is not known in the public domain. Find out how these infamous offenders became wealthy. Some of them are serving prison sentences, others have been released, some are late, and others are fugitives.
Overview of the richest gangsters of all time
| Ranking | Name | Alleged net worth |
| 1 | Leona Helmsley | $5 billion |
| 2 | Carlos Lehder | $2.7 billion |
| 3 | Griselda Blanco | $2 billion |
| 4 | Adnan Khashoggi | $2 billion |
| 5 | Frank Costello | $1 billion |
| 6 | Joaquín Guzmán (El Chapo) | $1 billion |
| 7 | Jho Low | $150 million |
| 8 | Al Capone | $100 million |
| 9 | Bugsy Siegel | $100 million |
| 10 | Rayful Edmond | $50 million |
| 11 | John Gotti | $30 million |
| 12 | Paul Castellano | $20 million |
| 13 | Frank Abagnale | $10 million |
| 14 | Ephren Taylor | $10 million |
| 15 | John Gotti Jr | $10 million |
| 16 | Hector "Junior" Pagan | $1 million |
| 17 | Freeway Rick Ross | $1 million |
| 18 | Michael Franzese | $1 million |
| 19 | Big Meech | $500,000 |
| 20 | Nicky Barnes | $500,000 |
| 21 | Lee D'Avanzo | $500,000 |
| 22 | Sammy Gravano | $500,000 |
| 23 | Frank Lucas | $500,000 |
| 24 | Charles Manson | $400,000 |
| 25 | Mary Kay Letourneau | $400,000 |
Richest gangsters of all time
The wealthiest criminals on record acquired their fortunes through a combination of criminal activities and professional pursuits. Check out who they are below.
25. Mary Kay Letourneau - $400,000
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Mary Kay Letourneau
- Date of birth: 30 January 1962
- Date of death: 6 July 2020
- Age at death: 58 years
- Place of birth: Des Moines, Washington, USA
Mary Kay Letourneau was a sex offender. She was a teacher who was notorious for having sexual relationships with her underage students. She pleaded guilty in 1997 to two counts of felony. She was charged with second-degree sexual assault of a child. At the time of her death, Mary Kay Letourneau's net worth was alleged to be $400,000. She died of cancer.
24. Charles Manson - $400,000
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Charles Milles Maddox
- Date of birth: 12 November 1934
- Date of death: 19 November 2017
- Age at death: 83 years
- Place of birth: Bakersfield, California, USA
Charles Manson was a criminal, cult leader, and musician. He 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 was $400,000 when he died.
23. Frank Lucas - $500,000
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Frank Lucas
- Date of birth: 9 September 1930
- Date of death: 30 May 2019
- Age at death: 88 years
- Place of birth: La Grange, North Carolina, USA
Frank Lucas dealt with illegal addictive substances and was an organised crime boss. He was probably earning hundreds of millions of dollars when his criminal operations were at their height. Frank Lucas' net worth was about $500,000 when he died in 2019.
22. Sammy Gravano - $500,000
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, USA
Sammy Gravano joined the Cosa Nostra crime family at 23. Did you know he was a former boss of the New York City-based Gambino crime family? He committed offences such as hijacking, theft, and armed robbery.
He is known for helping the Federal Bureau of Investigation to bring down John Gotti. He served his jail term and has since been released. Sammy Gravano's net worth is $500,000.
21. Lee D'Avanzo - $500,000
- Full name: Lee D'Avanzo
- Year of birth: 1969
- Age: 55 years (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 $500,000.
20. Nicky Barnes - $500,000
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Leroy Nicholas Barnes
- Date of birth: 15 October 1933
- Date of death: 18 June 2012
- Age at death: 78 years
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Nicholas Barnes was a crime boss active in the 1970s. He formed The Council, a seven-man organised crime that controlled a huge part of the drug trade in the Harlem area of New York City. Nicky Barnes' net worth was over $50 million at the height of his career. His worth reduced to $500 thousand at the time of his death.
19. Big Meech - $500,000
- Full name: Demetrius Edward Flenory Sr.
- Date of birth: 21 June 1968
- Age: 55 years old (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Big Meech is a convicted drug dealer known for running the 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 $500 thousand. It was about $100 million at the peak of is career.
18. Michael Franzese - $1 million
- Full name: Michael Franzese Grillo
- Date of birth: 27 May 1951
- Age: 72 years (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Michael Franzese is a former mobster and the captain of the Colombo crime family. He was indicted on 14 counts of racketeering, extortion, and counterfeiting. This resulted in a 10-year prison sentence and a restitution of $14 million. Michael Franzese's net worth is about $1 million.
17. Freeway Rick Ross - $1 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Ricky Donnell Ross
- Date of birth: 26 January 1960
- Age: 64 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: Terrell, Texas, USA
Freeway Rick Ros is a 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. He appealed the court's decision and was released in 2009 after 20 years in jail. Freeway Rick Ros' net worth is $1 million.
16. Hector "Junior" Pagan - $1 million
- Full name: Hector Junior Pagan
- Year of birth: 1967
- Age: 57 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Hector Junior Pagan is a former associate of the Bonnano crime family. The family is among the richest crime organisations in the world. He has been in and out of prison for his involvement in mob life. Hector Pagan's net worth is about $1 million.
15. John Gotti Jr - $10 million
- Full name: John Angelo Gotti
- Date of birth: 14 February 1964
- Age: 60 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: Queens, New York, USA
John Gotti Jr is a former mobster known for being the boss of the Gambino family between 1992 and 1999. He took over after his father, John Gambino, was sentenced to prison. He was charged with four racketeering charges that ended in mistrials because no conviction was made. He is no longer associated with crime. John Gotti Jr's net worth is $10 million.
14. Ephren Taylor - $10 million
- Full name: Ephren Taylor
- Date of birth: 17 July 1982
- Age: 41 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: USA
Ephren Taylor is a businessman who obtained wealth mainly from fraudulent operations. He has since gone on to become a successful entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Ephren Taylor's net worth is estimated to be $10 million.
13. Frank Abagnale - $10 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Frank William Abagnale Jr
- Date of birth: 27 April 1948
- Age: 75 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: The Bronx, New York, USA
Frank Abagnale is a 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. He was arrested and served a 10-year prison sentence between 1970 and 1980.
12. Paul Castellano - $20 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Constantino Paul Castellano
- Date of birth: 26 June 1915
- Date of death: 16 December 1985
- Age at death: 70 years
- Place of birth: New York City, New York, USA
Paul Castellano was a 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 was $20 million at the time of his death.
11. John Gotti - $30 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: John Joseph Gotti Jr.
- Date of birth: 27 October 1940
- Date of death: 10 June 2002
- Age at death: 61 years
- Place of birth: St. John Cemetery, Queens, New York City, USA
John Gotti was the boss of New York's Gambino crime family. He was convicted of numerous criminal offences in 1992. He passed away in 2002 at 61. At the time of his death, John Gotti's net worth was about $30 million.
10. Rayful Edmond - $50 million
- Full name: Rayful Edmond III
- Date of birth: 26 November 1964
- Age: 59 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: Washington, DC, USA
Rayful Edmond is a former drug lord who is ranked among the top 10 richest gangsters in the world. He was well-known 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 about $50 million.
9. Bugsy Siegel - $100 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Bugsy Siegel
- Date of birth: 28 February 1906
- Date of death: 20 June 1947
- Age at death: 47 years
- Place of birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Busy Siegel was a mobster who led one of the most feared criminal gangs of his time. Siegel, who was influential in the National Crime Syndicate, died in 1947. Bugsy Siegel's net worth was about $100 million when he died.
8. Al Capone - $100 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Alphonse Gabriel Capone
- Date of birth: 17 January 1899
- Date of death: 25 January 1947
- Age of death: 48 years
- Place of birth: New York City, USA
Al Capone was the boss of Chicago Outfit, an organised crime syndicate. He was charged with possessing a concealed weapon and tax evasion, leading to an 11-year sentence. Al Capone's net worth was about $100 million at death. He allegedly forgot where he stashed his riches shortly before his death.
7. Jho Low - $150 million
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Low Taek Jho
- Date of birth: 4 November 1981
- Age: 42 years (as of March 2024)
- Place of birth: George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Jho Low is a Malaysian fugitive businessman and criminal. He is one of the top 10 richest gangsters in the world in 2024. 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 about $150 million.
6. Joaquín Guzmán (El Chapo) - $1 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán Loera
- Date of birth: 4 April 1957
- Age: 66 years (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: La Tuna, Badiraguato Municipality, Sinaloa, Mexico
Joaquín Guzmán, famously known as El Chapo, is a former drug kingpin. He is 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. He escaped from prison in 2015 and was re-arrested in 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. El Chapo's peak net worth was $1 billion dollars before his arrest.
5. Frank Costello - $1 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Francesco Castiglia
- Date of birth: 26 January 1891
- Date of death: 18 February 1973
- Age at death: 82 years
- Place of birth: Cassano allo Ionio, Italy
Frank Costello was one of the billionaire gangsters in the world. He was an Italian-American Mafia leader. 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
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Adnan Khashoggi
- Date of birth: 25 July 1935
- Died: 6 June 2017
- Age at death: 81 years
- Place of birth: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Adnan Khashoggi was a Saudi Arabian businessman who was once listed as the world's richest person in the '80s. His peak net worth was $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 was about $2 billion when he died.
3. Griselda Blanco - $2 billion
- Full name: Griselda Blanco Restrepo
- Date of birth: 14 February 1943
- Date of death: 3 September 2012
- Age at death: 69 years
- Place of birth: Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia
Griselda Blanco from Colombia was commonly known as the Black Widow. Although late, she ranked among the richest female gangsters in the world in 2024. She trafficked illegal substances in the Medellín Cartel and was sentenced to 10 years in prison before being murdered in 2012. Griselda Blanco's net worth was about $2 billion when she died.
2. Carlos Lehder - $2.7 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Carlos Enrique Lehder Rivas
- Date of birth: 7 September 1949
- Age: 74 years (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Armenia, Colombia
Carlos Lehder is a former German-Colombian drug lord. The co-founder of the Medellín Cartel is ranked among the richest criminals in the world. The cartel ran a massive illegal substance distribution syndicate in the Bahamas. He served a 33-year prison sentence in the USA and was released in 2020. Carlos Lehder's net worth is $2.7 billion.
1. Leona Helmsley - $5 billion
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: Lena Mindy Rosenthal
- Date of birth: 4 July 1920
- Died: 20 August 2007
- Age at death: 87 years
- Place of birth: Marbletown, New York, USA
Leona Helmsley, alias Queen of Mean, is known as the wealthiest and biggest gangster in the world today, even though she is deceased. She was a condominium broker and the wife of Harry Helms Helmsley, a multimillionaire real estate investor.
In the late 80s, Leona was convicted of federal income tax evasion. She was sentenced to 16 years in prison but her term was reduced to 19 months. She also did two months of house arrest. Leona Helmsley's net worth was about $5 billion when she passed away.
What is Frank Lucas' net worth today?
Frank Lucas' net worth was $500 thousand when he died in 2019. His net worth today is not known because he is deceased.
Who is the biggest gangster in India?
The biggest Indian gangsters include Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan, Arun Gawli, Ashwin Naik, Varadarajan Mudaliar, Karim Lala, Haji Mastan, Abu Salem, Ravi Pujari, and Ejaz Lakdawala.
Who was the biggest gangster?
The biggest gangsters in the world include Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino, Bugsy Siegel, and Vincent Gigante.
Who is the richest gangster in the world?
Leona Helmsley, alias Queen of Mean, is known as the wealthiest gangster in the world. She was worth about $5 billion when she died in 2007.
Who is the world's no.1 gangster?
The world's biggest gangsters and mobsters include Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Carlo Gambino, Bugsy Siegel, and Vincent Gigante.
Who is the most powerful gangster alive today?
Joaquín Guzmán, alias El Chapo, is arguably the most powerful gangster alive today. He is known as the former Sinaloa Drug Cartel head who masterminded a large-scale drug trafficking syndicate between Mexico and the USA. His activities are limited because he is in prison.
The richest gangsters of all time amassed plenty of wealth and cash from conducting illegal activities. Most of them were arrested and convicted. Some are alive, while others are deceased.
Yen.com.gh recently published a list of the tallest WNBA players in NBA history. Basketball is a sport that necessitates a variety of qualities, including agility, speed, coordination, and strength.
A basketball player's height offers an advantage, hence the preference for tall athletes. Height is important in basketball because it improves shooting, blocking, rebounding, and defensive skills.
Source: YEN.com.gh
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Tatiana Thiga (Lifestyle writer) Tatiana Thiga is a content creator who joined Yen in 2022. She is an English literature graduate from Kenyatta University. She has amassed sufficient knowledge working on a variety of topics, including biographies, fashion and lifestyles, guides, and more. In 2023, Tatiana finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her at tatianathiga@gmail.com
