How Larry Hoover Achieved a Net Worth of $10 Million

As a notable former American gang leader, Larry Hoover is known as King Larry, and he has had many legal issues that have led to incarceration. Larry Hoover no doubt has a lot of success associated with him, but what’s Larry Hoover’s net worth? Here’s the scoop on what he’s worth and his future business endeavors, and whether he’ll get out of jail anytime soon.

Who is Larry Hoover?

Larry Hoover is known as one of the most prominent gang leaders in the United States. He was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on November 30, 1950. Although he spent his first few years in Mississippi, his family moved to Chicago. It didn’t take long for Hoover to get involved with criminal endeavors, and he was already falling into a life of crime at the age of 12.

By 13, Hoover had dropped out of school, and he was on a path toward becoming a prominent gang figure. He started engaging in crimes with his buddies, such as mugging and thefts. His friends and he called themselves “Supreme Gangsters,” which would allow him to be a criminal leader.

In Chicago, Larry Hoover became the founder of what would become Gangster Disciples. Gangster Disciples was a gang that came to be when Hoover’s gang, Supreme Gangsters, merged with David Barksdale’s Gang, Black Disciples, in 1969. The name of the group was Black Gangster Disciple Nation (BGDN).

After the death of David Barksdale, Hoover became the sole leader of the group, and he led the gang to take over Chicago’s drug trade. However, there were divisions in the gang throughout its history. The Gangster Disciples emerged and splintered from other members of the group.

Hoover continued to work when he was in jail, and the gang expanded far beyond the South Side of Chicago and even spread to other states in the United States.

What’s Larry Hoover’s Net Worth?

Due to the nature of Larry Hoover’s revenue, it is hard to give an exact number of how much he is worth. Much of his money has been earned through criminal enterprises. Additionally, he has spent more than half a decade in prison. It is estimated that he’s worth around $10 million, but this is only an estimated number based on his assets and known dealings.

How Did Larry Hoover Make His Money?

Larry Hoover earned his money because of his criminal enterprise and role as a gang leader. Gang life was something Hoover knew from an early age, and it shaped most of his adult life. Larry Hoover has defended his methods of making money, such as saying, “I am not a criminal, I’m an entrepreneur,” or “Gangs are a necessary evil.”

Is Larry Hoover Married?

Yes, Larry Hoover got married to his wife, Winddye Jenkins-Hoover, who he has three children with. While they were only permitted to get married in 2020, he was in a relationship with her since 1968. He was denied marriage multiple times before the corrections department finally allowed his marriage.

Winddye has stayed by her husband’s side throughout their relationship, and she is one of his biggest supporters. She is no doubt dedicated to her husband and will likely continue to be an advocate for him and urge the courts to give him his freedom, and she arranges family visits several times a year at prison so that he keeps connected with his loved ones. She has had to stay strong throughout these obstacles.

Was Larry Hoover Convicted for Crimes?

Larry Hoover has been convicted for several crimes that he committed as a gangster. He has been in jail since 1973, when he was charged with killing William “Pooky” Young, a young drug dealer who was shot in Chicago on February 26, 1973. At the end of the year, he was arrested, and shortly after, he was tried and charged with murder, which led to a sentence of life plus 200 years. To serve his term, he was sent to Crest, Hill Illinois, to serve his sentence at Statesville Correctional Center.

While Hoover was guaranteed to spend his life in jail for his 1973 charges, that was not the end of his legal issues. In the fall of 1995, a nearly two-decade investigation led to another arrest at Dixon Correctional Center by FBI agents.

He was accused of several charges, such as extortion, money laundering, drug charges, and conspiracy. He was also charged with continued engagement with a criminal enterprise. It was argued that Hoover’s gang operated in 35 states, had 30,000 “soldiers,” and earned around $100 million each year.

This arrest lead to his being transferred to a prison in downtown Chicago, Metropolitan Correctional Center. He stood trial again in 1997, and the jury found him guilty of all charges. These charges added three more life terms to his existing life plus 200 years. However, this time, he was sent to a federal prison, ADX Florence, which is in Colorado.

Larry Hoover has tried to appeal his charges using the First Step Act. However, despite using Billy Cosby’s former lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean, he was unsuccessful thus far in appeal attempts, and he remains in prison.

What is Larry Hoover Up to Now?

Unfortunately for Hoover, he has been in jail for decades because of his gang-related activities. Larry Hoover has been trying to fight his long prison sentence.

His lawyer, Justin Moore, has said about releasing Hoover, “This is a 70-year-old man in the twilight of his years, who has serious medical complications and is seeking release to finally be with his wife, children, and grandchildren after nearly 50 years of separation,” but many others argue that his release would inspire those in gangs who see Hoover as a powerful and motivational figure.

Kanye West has even supported the release of Hoover from prison. West himself was from Chicago, and for a long time, he advocated for Hoover’s release. He even urged former president Donald Trump to grant Hoover clemency in 2018 and wanted the help of his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.

He has featured Hoover’s son in his album, Dona, and he even hosted a benefit concert to urge officials to release Larry Hoover. This benefit was live-streamed on Amazon Prime Video, and West worked with another rapper, Drake, to bring attention to the cause. These efforts have not been successful thus far.

Accomplishments

Despite being in prison, he has had several endeavors that he’s been able to accomplish. For example, he wrote a 1996 book, The Blueprint of a New Concept: From Gangster Disciple to Growth & Development. His wife, Winndye Jenkins-Hoover, also helped him by starting the Larry Hoover Project in 2014. This project was established to try to get Hoover clemency for his crimes. She has argued that he shouldn’t have to live his old years in prison.

Based on his history with appeals and efforts to get clemency, it is unlikely that Hoover will get out of prison anytime soon. His prison sentence makes it hard for him to have the life he wants in his later years of life. He has been separated from his family and gang family for decades now. However, he still does have many connections and ability to accomplish tasks from behind bars, even if doing so is much harder.