Support The Moscow Times!

Putin's Chef Prigozhin Splits His Business Empire – Reports

27-year old lawyer named as co-owner of Kremlin ally’s food business by Russian news sites.

Yevgeny Prigozhin is under U.S. sanctions for his links to the Internet Research Agency — the Kremlin-backed "troll factory" Mikhail Metzel / TASS

Kremlin-linked business owner Yevgeny Prigozhin — dubbed “Putin’s Chef” — has carved up his catering company, handing half to a 27-year-old lawyer who previously founded a dog shelter in Siberia, the Current Time news site  reported.

The Concord Food Plant, Prigozhin’s main business asset, was divided on October 30, according to data from the Contour Focus business registry of Russian companies which was analyzed by journalists from Current Time, the Tomsk-based TV2 and the Scanner Project.

Half of the firm was retained by Prigozhin, while half is now controlled by 27-year-old lawyer Yekaterina Roslikova. 

According to the report, Roslikova previously founded the Good Hands pet shelter in Tomsk, Siberia, and was a leading member of the Tomsk branch of the right-wing Liberal Democratic party (LDPR). Roslikova’s colleagues contacted by Current Time said she left Tomsk to take up a job in St. Petersburg with a company called Megaline two years ago. A company with that name is part of Prigozhin’s business empire.

Prigozhin is under U.S. sanctions for his ties to the Internet Research Agency, the Kremlin-backed “troll factory” which has been indicted in the U.S. for interference in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. 

A close Putin ally, Prigozhin is also linked to the Wagner Group of private mercenaries which has reportedly fought alongside Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, been sent to provide personal security to Venezuelean President Nicolas Maduro, and been deployed in the Central African Republic, Mozambique, Madagascar, Libya, eastern Ukraine and Sudan.

Prigozhin’s decision to cede half of his main business interest is motivated by self-protection, Stanislav Danilov, a partner at law firm Pen & Paper, told Current Time.

“This is clearly some kind of defense … such a decision, as a rule, is dictated by the desire to protect the business from the appearance of third parties: creditors, a former spouse or other elements that a beneficiary does not want to see,” Danilov said.

“Fifty-fifty is a classic deadlock. If [Prigozhin’s] half is taken away from him, then no real control will be given to a third party, since they will not be able to make a decision on changing the composition of governing bodies, the company structure or place requirements on the CEO,” Danilov said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more