Doug’s Dime: The Rise Of The Russian Mercenary

Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary organization founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, continues to hold a firm grip in the Central African Republic even years after the suspicious death of Wagner’s founder. His 28-year-old son, Pavel Prigozhin, has reportedly salvaged the operation and righted the relationship with the Kremlin. According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the business generates over $400 million a year, with the mercenaries seizing control of gold mines and serving as personal security for the CAR’s president. Nicholas Bariyo, The Wall Street Journal