Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela once ran 80% of the world cocaine market

On the streets of Cali, in southern Colombia, Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela was not, at first glance, noteworthy. He was clearly well-off, but not ostentatiously so. His air was that of a banker or professor. His suits and ties were smart, but not exclusive. No showy accessories gleamed on his wrists. At dinners in his house he served the soup and quoted poetry, putting guests at ease. He liked to watch car-racing and football, sometimes with both his mistresses and his wife. His car was a Mazda. An “honest drugstore magnate” was his own description of himself.