According to documents shared on social media, it appears that Pavel Prigozhin, the 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin, is set to inherit the majority of his father's wealth.
Pavel has also reportedly taken over command of the Wagner Group, a private military company, as stated by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a leading U.S. think tank. The ISW cited a Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel as the source of this information. Pavel is said to be in negotiations with Rosgvardia, the Russian National Guard, regarding the Wagner Group's potential rejoining of the fighting in Ukraine.
The Times reports that a photo of what appears to be Yevgeny Prigozhin's will suggests that Pavel will be the sole inheritor of his father's properties and the private militia.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, who made his fortune through catering contracts before founding the Wagner Group, played a significant role in Moscow's war in Ukraine. The Wagner Group was instrumental in the capture of Bakhmut in May, following months of intense fighting.
Yevgeny Prigozhin died on August 23 in a private jet crash, just a month after leading a mutiny against the Russian military. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has vehemently denied any involvement. The document shared online suggests that Pavel is set to inherit approximately 100 million. The will states, "All my property as well as property that may be acquired by me in the future I bequeath to Pavel Evgenyevich Prigozhin." If Pavel were to pass away, the inheritance would be divided among Yevgeny Prigozhin's widow, Lyubov, Pavel's two sisters, and the grandson of the Wagner leader. However, the existence of a grandson has not been independently confirmed.
In September, Pavel stated that he accepted the inheritance and its "parameters." According to the alleged terms of the will, he will be responsible for supporting the family. The assets included in the inheritance are a three-story house in St Petersburg, the Wagner Group, shares in Concord (the catering firm founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin), and its subsidiaries, as well as nine joint-stock companies. The Telegram channel suggests that Pavel aims to recover 680 million in debts that the Russian defense ministry is believed to owe Concord.
The authenticity of the will, which was notarized on March 2, has not been independently verified. The ISW, in its assessment, states that the status of the Wagner Group remains unclear amid reported negotiations about its future cooperation with the Russian government. The main combat elements of the Wagner Group are spread across several countries, including Belarus, the Central African Republic, Libya, and Mali. Currently, there is no clear unified leader for the group. President Putin publicly embraced former Wagner Group commander Andrey Troshev on September 29, stating that they discussed Troshev's involvement in the formation of new volunteer detachments primarily operating in Ukraine. However, some elements of the Wagner Group reacted negatively to Putin's embrace of Troshev and have put forward an alternative leader. The Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel announced on October 1 that Pavel Prigozhin has taken over "command" of the Wagner Group and is negotiating with Rosgvardia about the group's rejoining of combat operations in Ukraine.
Memorials were held on Sunday to honor Yevgeny Prigozhin, with dozens of mourners hailing him as a patriotic hero of Russia who spoke truth to power. At his grave in St Petersburg, his mother, Violetta, and his son, Pavel, laid flowers. Supporters waved the black flags of Wagner, which bear a skull and the motto "Blood, Honour, Motherland, Courage." In eastern Orthodoxy, it is believed that the soul makes its final journey to either heaven or hell on the 40th day after death.
While Wagner has been portrayed by opponents such as the United States as a brutal crime group that exploited African states and used extreme violence against those who opposed them, mourners spoke of their respect for Yevgeny Prigozhin. Many described him as a charismatic leader who was close to the fighters and the people, making him popular both in Russia and abroad.
Following the mutiny in June, there has been speculation about the future of the Wagner Group. It was expected by many observers that the group would be integrated into the Russian Defense Ministry. Putin's recent order for one of the top commanders of the Wagner military contractor, Andrei Troshev, to take charge of "volunteer units" fighting in Ukraine indicates the Kremlin's intention to continue using the mercenaries after Yevgeny Prigozhin's death.
The meeting between Putin and Troshev, which took place on Thursday, suggests that Wagner mercenaries will likely serve under the Defense Ministry's command. Troshev, a retired military officer who played a leading role in Wagner since its establishment in 2014, faced European Union sanctions due to his involvement in Syria as the group's executive director. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Troshev now works for the Defense Ministry and referred questions about Wagner's possible return to Ukraine to the military.
The Kremlin's plan appears to involve redeploying some Wagner mercenaries to the front line in Ukraine following the mutiny and the deaths of Yevgeny Prigozhin and the group's senior leadership in a plane crash on August 23. The Wagner Group, which once had tens of thousands of troops, is a valuable asset that the Kremlin wants to utilize.
The mutiny aimed to remove the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry, which Yevgeny Prigozhin blamed for mishandling the war in Ukraine and attempting to gain control over Wagner. The mercenaries took over Russia's southern military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and advanced towards Moscow before abruptly turning back. Putin denounced them as "traitors," but a deal was quickly negotiated to end the uprising in exchange for amnesty from prosecution. The mercenaries were given the option to retire, move to Belarus, or sign new contracts with the Defense Ministry.
In July, Putin revealed that he met with 35 Wagner commanders, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, and suggested that they continue serving under Troshev. However, Prigozhin declined the offer.
Login