Matteo Messina Denaro cause of death and net worth

Matteo Messina Denaro was a Sicilian Mafia boss who was arrested in January this year (2023), after 30 years on the run. He had enormous worth which he got from his mafia criminal activities. At the time of his arrest, Matteo Messina Denaro had a net worth of €4 billion ($4.9 billion).

On Sunday, September 24, the Mafia boss died. He was 61. Matteo Messina Denaro cause of death is cancer.

Denaro was born in Castelvetrano, Sicily, Italy, in 1962. He came from a Mafia family, and his father, Francesco Messina Denaro, was a capo of the Castelvetrano Mafia family. As the Mafia business was a family affair, Denaro began his criminal career at a young age. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Mafia.

In the 1990s, he was involved in a number of high-profile murders, including the assassinations of the Italian judges, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino. Authorities convicted him in absentia of being involved in the 1993 bombing of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.

Aftermath of the bombing incident, Denaro entered the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. This made him to be considered one of the most dangerous criminals on earth at the time.

Furthermore, the Mafia boss evaded arrest on several occasions. He was on the run for three decades before lucked eluded him on January 16, 2023. According to authorities, Denaro used plastic surgeries and other methods to disguise himself in public.

Matteo Messina Denaro net worth

The net worth of the late Mafia leader is around €4 billion ($4.9 billion). He made all these fortune from criminal activities of his group. However, information regarding the whereabouts of his fortune is unknown.

How Matteo Messina Denaro made the billions

The late Mafia leader made enough money from the illegal dealings of his group. The group made businesses operating within their jurisdiction, to pay “pizzo” (protection fee). The group was also involved in illegal drug trafficking.

However, aside the illegalities, Denaro owned other legitimate businesses too. He had stakes in several businesses in Sicily. According to Italian authorities, Denaro had stakes in a Sicilian supermarket chain which is worth hundreds of millions of Euros. In addition, he owned olive oil productions companies.