Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, but his mercenary empire lives on. His son has expanded the family business in the Central African Republic, WSJ reports.

Key Points:

• After the death of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, Russian authorities created the Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps to oversee Wagner mercenaries, but his son Pavel retained control of fighters in the Central African Republic (CAR) and expanded the business.
• CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadéra supported Pavel Prigozhin by integrating Wagner mercenaries into the country’s security forces and preventing their replacement by Russian Defense Ministry troops.
• Approximately 500 Wagner fighters operate in CAR’s capital, Bangui, engaging in security, fighting rebels, and profiting from gold mining, drug, and weapons trafficking, with Pavel controlling the largest gold deposit generating $250 million annually.
• The Prigozhin family’s operations in CAR include controlling local markets, arms sales to rebel groups in Sudan and Libya, and producing vodka and beer, earning an estimated $400 million per year.
• Pavel Prigozhin, who inherited a 12 billion ruble estate at age 25, lives in St. Petersburg but frequently visits Bangui, where Wagner’s headquarters is located; reports suggest family disputes over inheritance distribution.