Who is Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and

Norman Ray

Global Courant

The head of the Wagner group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the headquarters of the Southern Military District on June 24, 2023 in Rostov-on-Don, Russia.

Stringer | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Yevgeny Prigozhin used his close ties to the Russian president Vladimir Putin to get rich and build a private army – then marched to Moscow in a wonderful challenge to the rule of his former boss.

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He has admitted to serving 10 years in prison as a young man, although he has not said what for. He then built a hot dog stand into a chain of upscale restaurants, eventually catching the attention of the Russian president and earning lucrative contracts to cater public school and Kremlin events, earning him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”

Over time, Prigohzin has served a variety of Putin’s other needs.

The Russian leader has sought to exert influence around the world – from his neighbors in Eastern Europe to the Middle East and Africa – and Prigozhin has helped him do so.

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