Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin

A Biographical Summary of Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin

Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin was a Russian oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) in 1961. Prigozhin rose to prominence through his catering business, Concord Catering, which secured lucrative government contracts, including providing meals to the Russian military and schools. This success led him to establish the Wagner Group, a private military company, in 2014.

The Wagner Group played a significant role in various conflicts, including the Syrian Civil War, the Russo-Ukrainian War, and African countries like the Central African Republic and Libya. Prigozhin was accused of orchestrating election interference in the 2016 US Presidential election through the Internet Research Agency, a St. Petersburg-based troll farm that spread disinformation and propaganda online. He denied these allegations.

Prigozhin's influence and power grew, leading to a complex relationship with the Kremlin. In June 2023, he led a short-lived mutiny against the Russian military leadership, accusing them of incompetence and mishandling the war in Ukraine. This rebellion, though ultimately quelled, exposed fissures within the Russian power structure and raised questions about Prigozhin's future. In August 2023, Prigozhin was reported to have died in a plane crash under suspicious circumstances. His death remains a subject of intense speculation and investigation.