Prigozhin's Son Inherited Billions and Expanded His Father's Business in Africa — WSJ

Pavel Prigozhin, 28, the son of the late founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, not only inherited his father’s fortune of 12 billion rubles but also took over his father’s business in Africa. According to The Wall Street Journal, his annual income exceeds $400 million.

After his father’s death, Pavel retained control over Wagner’s units in the Central African Republic and expanded the commercial operations he inherited that are linked to the mercenary group.

Despite the fact that, following the death of Prigozhin Sr., the Russian authorities took control of the Wagner Group and created the “African Corps” under the Ministry of Defense—to which the mercenaries were supposed to be transferred—the commander’s son managed to remain involved in his father’s affairs.

According to the publication, he was aided in this by Central African Republic President Fosten-Archange Touadéra, who asked the Kremlin not to replace the Wagner Group fighters with troops from the Russian Ministry of Defense. Moreover, he integrated Prigozhin’s mercenaries into the country’s police, army, and intelligence units.

Currently, there are about 500 “Wagnerites” in the CAR’s capital, Bangui, who are involved in guarding the president, fighting rebels, and making money from gold mining, drug trafficking, and arms dealing.

According to the WSJ, Pavel Prigozhin has taken control of the CAR’s largest gold deposit, which generates $250 million a year.

Local authorities are actively assisting him in smuggling the metal abroad by designating the mined gold as state property. As journalists have discovered, shipments over the past three months have been routed through Belarus.

In addition, this “young talent” controls a significant portion of the local tramadol market and sells weapons to rebel groups in Sudan and Libya. The Wagner Group produces vodka and beer in the CAR.

This group also owns radio stations in the country that broadcast anti-Western propaganda, glorify President Touadéra, and praise Russia.

In total, the Prigozhin family earns over $400 million a year. At least, these are the figures cited by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Prigozhin Jr. himself lives permanently in St. Petersburg but regularly flies to Bangui, where he stays at the Ledger Plaza Hotel. Investigators refer to the latter as the de facto headquarters of the PMC.

The hotel grounds are heavily guarded by armed fighters, and even the highest-ranking military officials undergo security checks before meeting with Pavel.

The Wall Street Journal reports this in an article titled “Playboy.”

Journalists reported that Prigozhin met with Putin in the Kremlin after the mutiny.

The terrorist Prigozhin and his supporters may have staged his own death.