A 65-year-old Colombian farmer is at the centre of one of the most extraordinary discoveries in recent memory after unearthing what is believed to be part of Pablo Escobar’s vast buried fortune on his own land.

Jose Mariena Cartolos received a $3,000 government grant to help start a palm oil plantation on his ranch. While digging an irrigation trench to help get the project off the ground, he struck something unexpected: a series of large blue containers packed with cash.

When the money was counted, the total came to $600,000,000.

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The cash is believed to be part of the legendary $30 billion fortune that Escobar, the Medellin Cartel boss who once appeared on the Forbes list of the world’s richest men, reportedly buried in hidden locations across Colombia before his death in 1993. The drug lord was so wealthy at the peak of his operation that he reportedly spent $2,500 a month just on elastic bands to keep his cash in bundles, and wrote off around 10 percent of his stockpiles to rats, moisture and spoilage.

Cartolos cannot keep the discovery. Under Colombian law, the money will be surrendered to the government and used to fund social and economic programmes across the country.

The find has already sparked speculation about a new wave of treasure hunters descending on the Colombian countryside in the hope of locating more of Escobar’s hidden stashes. Historians and economists have long suggested that enormous sums remain buried and unaccounted for, scattered across farms, ranches and remote hillsides.

For Cartolos, who was simply trying to start a new agricultural business, the discovery is the kind of story that seems more like a film plot than real life.

Written by

Elle Diaz

Elle Diaz is a freelance journalist and fitness model based in the UK. With a background in health, wellness, and popular culture, she covers the stories people are actually talking about — from viral trends and celebrity news to science, lifestyle, and human interest. Elle brings a sharp, relatable voice to every piece she writes.

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