“Freeway” Rick Ross is an American author and former drug lord well known for the drug empire he established in Los Angeles, California. Read ahead to find out more about his profession, net worth, career, and more.
Quick Bio
Ricky Donnell Ross, also known as “Freeway Rick” was born on January 26, 1960, in Terrell, Texas, U.S. His parents are Annie Mae Ross and Sonny Ross. He is currently 64 years old. His mother, Annie Mae, came from a sharecropping family, and his father, Sonny, was an ex-Army cook and pig farmer.
Education
Rick Ross attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School located in the Crenshaw District of Los, Angeles, California. He loves playing tennis and football. He was recruited to play tennis for Dorsey High School. However, he could not get the college tennis scholarship that he aspired to. Ross got expelled when they learned he was a functional illiterate.
Personal Life
Ross is reportedly married and has two children. He has not disclosed his wife’s and children’s identities yet. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and children.
Career and Profession
He started his career in drug trafficking after his illiteracy prevented him from getting a tennis scholarship for college. He first worked with an upholstery teacher at a Los Angeles community college who gave him a small amount of cocaine to sell. He used his profit to buy more cocaine to sell, expanding his business. He gradually rose to a prominent position in drug trafficking. Thousands of employees used to work under him. Ross operated drug sales not only in Los Angeles but in places across the country including New Orleans, Oklahoma, North and South Carolina, St. Louis, and Cleveland.
He bought and resold several metric tons of cocaine with gross revenue claimed to be over $900 million and profits of around $300 million. In 1996, he was sentenced to life imprisonment under the three-strike law after being convicted for purchasing more than 100 kgs of cocaine, However, his sentence was reduced to 20 years after proving that the three-strikes law had been mistakenly applied.
Rick Ross As An Author
He co-wrote his autobiography with journalist and author Cathy Scott. He released his book titled “Freeway Rick Ross: The Untold Autobiography at a book launch with author Scott at the Eso Won Bookstore in Los Angeles on 17 June 2014. It was nominated for ForeWord Reviews’ IndieFab Best of the Year Award 2014 in the true crime category.
Net Worth
Ross has an estimated net worth of $1 million as of 2024. During the peak of his drug empire, he was said to have sold $3 million per day. After he was released from prison in 2009, he started a new life and pursued entrepreneurial endeavors.
Social Media Presence
Ross is very active on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X. He has more than 380K followers on his Instagram account under the name @freewayricky. He also runs an online business account for his dispensary @freewayrickys on Instagram, which has 15K followers as of January 2024. He opened this account on December 17, 2023.
Conclusion
“Freeway Rick” Ross is an American author and former drug kingpin. After his release from prison, he has reformed. He has now become a public speaker and influencer. He appears in many podcasts and TV shows where he shares his life incidents and urges the youth community to stay away from drugs.