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Criminal Minds, Business Geniuses

Criminal Minds, Business Geniuses

By: Frollcast
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About this listen

 Criminal Minds, Business Geniuses takes you inside the hidden boardrooms of America's most notorious empires—from cartel kingpins to corrupt politicians—revealing the shocking business strategies that built billion-dollar fortunes in the shadows. This isn't your typical true crime podcast.

We dissect criminal enterprises like Fortune 500 companies, uncovering the innovative logistics, ruthless market tactics, and entrepreneurial genius that law enforcement doesn't want you to understand.

NOTE: The stories you're about to hear is a dramatized reconstruction created for storytelling purposes and should not be considered factual documentation..Frollcast Drama & Plays True Crime
Episodes
  • The Tollbooth Kings: Inside the Arellano Félix Empire

    The Tollbooth Kings: Inside the Arellano Félix Empire
    Jul 25 2025
    Most drug lords sell a product. The Arellano Félix brothers sold something far more valuable: access. They turned the Tijuana-San Diego border, the busiest crossing in the world, into the most profitable—and deadliest—private tollbooth in history.

    In this episode of Criminal Minds, Business Geniuses, we dissect the brutal business model of the Tijuana Cartel. Discover 'el piso,' their simple but ruthless tax system that generated billions in passive income, and explore the birth of the flashy 'narco-junior' lifestyle—a world of Porsches, exclusive parties, and celebrity status built on terror.

    This isn't just a crime story; it's a masterclass in market control, revealing how their binational network of corruption reached into the very U.S. agencies designed to stop them.

    Stick around to the end for a chilling bonus story about 'El Comandante'—the all-American high school coach who became one of their most trusted and unsuspected assets.
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    6 mins
  • The Sinaloa CEO, an Empire of Dirt

    The Sinaloa CEO, an Empire of Dirt
    Jul 25 2025
    In 2009, Forbes Magazine placed Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán on its billionaires list, estimating his worth at a staggering $14 billion. But how does a man with a third-grade education build a global enterprise to rival the world's biggest corporations?

    This episode of Criminal Minds, Business Geniuses dissects the man not as a kingpin, but as The Sinaloa CEO. We journey deep into his empire of dirt to uncover the twisted business acumen that powered his rise. Forget simple smuggling; discover the subterranean superhighways—advanced, climate-controlled tunnels that were logistical marvels. Learn his brutal strategy for 'hostile takeovers' that eliminated rivals and consolidated market share. We follow the forensic trail of his ghost fortune and ask the question: what truly separates a brilliant business strategist from a ruthless criminal mastermind?

    Tune in to uncover the blueprint for one of history's most terrifyingly successful enterprises.
    And for those who stay until the end, a special bonus segment reveals El Chapo's surprising strategy for 'brand management' and the multi-million dollar 'project' that led to his most infamous escape.
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    7 mins
  • Griselda Blanco: The Million-Dollar-a-Day Godmother

    Griselda Blanco: The Million-Dollar-a-Day Godmother
    Jul 23 2025
    How did a 5-foot Colombian woman build a business empire that generated more monthly revenue than most Fortune 500 companies—without computers, internet, or an MBA?

    Meet Griselda Blanco: the criminal mastermind who revolutionized drug trafficking in 1980s America through pure business innovation. While male competitors stuck to outdated smuggling methods, she created a logistics network so sophisticated it would make Amazon jealous.

    In this episode, you'll discover:
    The Underwear Revolution - How Griselda turned lingerie into the perfect smuggling vehicle, boosting efficiency by 400% while customs agents never suspected a thing
    Vertical Integration Mastery - Why she abandoned the $2,000 Colombian market to capture $50,000 Miami profits, building a complete supply chain empire
    Terror Marketing Strategy - Her brutal but effective method of eliminating competition through public displays that turned fear into her ultimate competitive advantage
    The Billion-Dollar Peak - How "Blanco Corporation" reached 30 labs, 200+ distributors, 1,500 employees, and controlled 80% of US cocaine traffic
    The Fatal Flaw - Why the same micro-management style that built her empire ultimately destroyed it, offering lessons any modern CEO should heed

    The shocking truth: Griselda Blanco proved that business genius transcends gender, nationality, and morality—but even criminal empires fall when ego surpasses strategy. This isn't just true crime. It's an MBA case study in innovation, market domination, and the dangerous limits of absolute control.

    Episode Runtime: 5:22 min
    Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of violence, drug trafficking, and criminal activity.
    Disclaimer: This story is a dramatized reconstruction created for storytelling purposes and should not be considered factual documentation
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    5 mins
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