Pablo Escobar

About Pablo Escobar

Pablo Escobar, the infamous Colombian mafioso and drug lord who operated between 1949 and 1993, earned his place as a figure of significant historical influence, ranking #429 in MIT's Pantheon historical importance index. His criminal enterprise, primarily centered on the Medellín Cartel, dominated global cocaine trafficking for decades, funneling billions of dollars and leading to widespread violence and political upheaval in Colombia. His historical footprint is measurable across numerous domains, cementing his place among the roughly 15,000 figures tracked by the project.

The modern internet's focus, however, suggests a dramatic disconnect between historical importance and current attention. Escobar attracted approximately 3.6 million Wikipedia views in 2025. This level of attention represents a significant overperformance relative to his historical rank, translating to an Attention Gap factor of +9x. This means he is receiving nine times the online attention one might expect based on his HPI score. For contrast, a figure with comparable modern relevance, Bob Dylan (#736 importance), accrued 12.0 million views, showing that contemporary celebrity can still eclipse even a highly influential criminal figure.

Interestingly, the data also indicates a cooling interest in this controversial figure; his 2025 annualized views show a year-over-year decline of -18.3%, and momentum dropped by 20% between Q1 and Q3 of the year, suggesting a potential, albeit slow, decrease in the public's digital focus.