Explainer | Who is ‘Putin’s chef’, and what is the Russian hot dog vendor turned mercenary boss cooking up?
- Once a low profile figure, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s recent admission that he meddles in US elections has propelled the Kremlin caterer into the spotlight
- Analysts, however, warn against overestimating his influence in Moscow, with one expert calling him ‘staff rather than family’
Yevgeny Prigozhin has had many roles. Convicted felon and hot dog vendor. Owner of a swanky St Petersburg restaurant and holder of lucrative government catering contracts. Founder of a mercenary military force involved in Russia’s various conflicts.
Prigozhin has kept a low profile over the years. But in recent months, the 61-year-old entrepreneur with links to Russian President Vladimir Putin has become more public with his activities, especially involving Moscow’s eight-month-old war in Ukraine.
This week, he gained new attention by admitting his involvement – previously denied – in the events that drew the scrutiny of US officials: meddling in American elections.
How far back do he and Putin go?
Prigozhin and Putin go way back, with both born in Leningrad, what is now known as St Petersburg.
During the final years of the Soviet Union, Prigozhin served time in prison – 10 years by his own admission – although he did not say what it was for.
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‘Putin’s chef’ Yevgeny Prigozhin admits to interfering in US elections
Afterward, he owned a hot dog stand and then fancy restaurants that drew interest from Putin. In his first term, the Russian leader took then-French President Jacques Chirac to dine at one of them.
“Vladimir Putin saw how I built a business out of a kiosk, he saw that I don’t mind serving to the esteemed guests because they were my guests,” Prigozhin recalled in an interview published in 2011.
