The Accountant's Story

Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel

By: David Fisher, Roberto Escobar

Narrated by: Ruben Diaz

"I have many scars. Some of them are physical, but many more are scars on my soul. A bomb sent to kill me while I was in a maximum security prison has made me blind, yet now I see the world more clearly than I have ever seen it before. I have lived an incredible adventure. I watched as my brother, Pablo Escobar, became the most successful criminal in history, but also a hero to many of the people of Colombia. My brother was loved and he was feared. Hundreds of thousands of people marched in his funeral procession, and certainly as many people celebrated his death."

These are the words of Roberto Escobar-the top accountant for the notorious and deadly Medellen Cartel, and brother of Pablo Escobar, the most famous drug lord in history. At the height of his reign, Pablo's multibillion-dollar operation smuggled tons of cocaine each week into countries all over the world. Roberto and his ten accountants kept track of all the money. Only Pablo and Roberto knew where it was stashed-and what it bought.

And the amounts of money were simply staggering. According to Roberto, it cost $2,500 every month just to purchase the rubber bands needed to wrap the stacks of cash. The biggest problem was finding a place to store it: from secret compartments in walls and beneath swimming pools to banks and warehouses everywhere. There was so much money that Roberto would sometimes write off ten percent as "spoilage," meaning either rats had chewed up the bills or dampness had ruined the cash.

Roberto writes about the incredible violence of the cartel, but he also writes of the humanitarian side of his brother. Pablo built entire towns, gave away thousands of houses, paid people's medical expenses, and built schools and hospitals. Yet he was responsible for the horrible deaths of thousands of people.

In short, this is the story of a world of riches almost beyond mortal imagination, and in his own words, Roberto Escobar tells all: building a magnificent zoo at Pablo's opulent home, the brothers' many escapes into the jungles of Colombia, devising ingenious methods to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States, bribing officials with literally millions of dollars-and building a personal army to protect the Escobar family against an array of enemies sworn to kill them.

Few men in history have been more beloved-or despised-than Pablo Escobar. Now, for the first time, his story is told by the man who knew him best: his brother, Roberto.

Critic reviews

"Narrator Ruben Diaz's bilingual skills allow him fluency with the mixture of English and many Spanish names, phrases, and locations. His English has a hint of a Latin accent, adding a linguistic authenticity to the story of a simple Colombian man who loved his family, killed his enemies, and lived in the shadows."—AudioFile

Exciting book !

This was the most detailed information on Pablo Escobar I have ever found ! Soo many personal stories about life behind of scenes of Medellin cartel !

Phenomenal story

I had read a few books on Pablo before and watched a few documentaries so I knew the public story. was nice to get the view from inside the camp, even if it is a slightly biased version of events. Can't be many people alive with a more interesting story to tell.

Good…ish

I was really excited about this book, and I did like the majority of it. But, I do feel like Escobar was fishing for sympathy for his brother and he, almost like they were unfairly persecuted. But, I did learn a lot from it and it held my attention.

Wow!

Roberto Escobar was the accountant to the infamous Pablo Escobar and the Medellin drug carlet. This is his story of the unbelievable amounts of money handled by the drug organization - where it came from, how the organization worked, and the physical accounting for the funds.

This is a page turner, well written and well read true crime history. The book will open the eyes of most people concerning the size and power of this cartel.

I would suggest that the reader read Roberto Sariano's "Gomorrah" before or after this book to understand other international criminal activity as well.

Truly a devil in disguise.

He ruled his country until too many people died and they turned on him. He gained respect by giving to the poorest of the poor.