Charles Cosby: A Journey From The Streets To The Pages Of History

What’s the Deal with Charles Cosby’s Net Worth?

Let me tell you about Charles Cosby, a man who’s walked the fine line between riches and ruin. Charles, an American who once dealt in cocaine, now has a net worth of $100,000. It’s not exactly the kind of wealth most people dream about, but it’s a far cry from where he started. Back in his late teens, Charles began selling drugs. One fateful day, he reached out to Griselda Blanco, one of the most feared members of the Medellin Drug Cartel, while she was behind bars. They started exchanging letters and phone calls, and she helped him expand his cocaine empire, which skyrocketed his income. But it wasn’t just business; they also became romantically involved. Eventually, Charles broke ties with Griselda after she plotted to kidnap John F. Kennedy Jr., a move that made him uneasy. In 2008, Charles was featured in the documentary "Cocaine Cowboys II: Hustlin' With the Godmother," and in 2021, he published the book "Hustling with the Godmother: My Life and Times with Griselda Blanco," where he shares the untold story of his life.

The Early Days: Growing Up in the Shadows

Charles Cosby was born on December 22, 1967, in Fresno, California. He spent his childhood in Oakland with three older siblings. In a post on BlogUnion.com, Cosby opened up about his early years, saying, “From what I've been told by my mother, we were the picture-perfect family—attending church, going on camping trips, and taking family vacations. But everything changed when my father's secret homosexual affairs and increasing drug use came to light. The marriage fell apart, and so did our lives.”

Charles attended Brookfield Elementary School and James Madison Middle School, where he was considered “an above-average student.” During middle school, he dreamed of becoming a lawyer, but by the time he reached John C. Fremont High School, his aspirations shifted. He started dealing drugs and found himself on the other side of the law, moving from wanting to defend criminals to becoming one himself.

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The Rise and Fall: Charles Cosby's Career

In 1991, Charles started writing letters to Griselda Blanco, the infamous "Cocaine Godmother," who was serving time in prison. Once Charles began visiting Griselda, she decided to bring him into her drug smuggling empire. In the documentary "Cocaine Cowboys 2," Cosby recalls, “I was a millionaire 45 days after meeting her.” However, things took a darker turn when the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office subpoenaed Charles in 1995. He lied about how much money Griselda was making, claiming it was $2 million when, in reality, it was 50 times that amount.

Charles eventually cut ties with Blanco after her former hitman, Jorge "Rivi" Ayala, agreed to testify about murders she had ordered. With Blanco potentially facing the death penalty, she tried to orchestrate the kidnapping of John F. Kennedy Jr., intending to use him as leverage for her release. Charles wasn’t comfortable with the plan, and thankfully, it never happened. The case against Griselda unraveled after Rivi became involved in a phone sex scandal with a secretary from the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office. Blanco was released from prison in 2004, two years after suffering a heart attack, and she was later deported back to Colombia, where she was tragically assassinated in 2012.

In 2021, Charles published his memoir, "Hustling with the Godmother: My Life and Times with Griselda Blanco." The book’s foreword was written by "New York Times" bestselling author Mark Ebner, who praised the book, saying, “Charles Cosby was a kid from East Oakland, dreaming of one day running a crack cocaine empire. Enter Griselda Blanco, the most notorious, brutal female drug trafficker the world had ever seen. Their paths crossed, and their lives intertwined—in love and in the dangerous world of drugs. Spoiler alert: one of them survived, and their story serves as a lesson for generations to come.”

Behind Closed Doors: Charles Cosby's Personal Life

Charles opened up about his relationship with Griselda Blanco to "The Sun," saying, “We met when I was in my early twenties, and she was in her late forties. Despite the age gap, she was incredibly attractive. She had hazel eyes, a beautiful smile, and deep dimples in her cheeks. When I first saw her, it was like being at a Rolling Stones concert—electricity in the air.” But love turned sour when Charles began seeing someone else. Blanco retaliated by ordering his assassination. In a 2024 interview with "ITV This Morning," Charles recounted the harrowing incident: “She tried to have me killed because I cheated on her. She hired an investigator who uncovered my web of lies and deceit, and she tried to have me killed. I was driving my Corvette, about two miles from my mom’s house in California, when two guys pulled up beside me in a Mustang and started shooting. Luckily, I was wearing a bulletproof vest, which saved me from four bullets.” It’s worth noting that Griselda had been married three times, and all three husbands met their end through assassination, reportedly on her orders.