Before heading a ruthless and brutal band of mercenaries, Prigozhin served time in jail and then started a catering business. One that made him rich – thanks in no small part to his former patron in the Kremlin. Between 2017 and 2021, commodities companies controlled by Prigozhin generated over $250 million in profit. The bulk of which comes from deals in oil, gold, diamonds and other commodities from Africa and the Middle East. Wagner Group’s soldiers have been involved in conflicts in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali, where they also secured access to some resources.The Wagner Group has been on Western sanctions lists for years as a result of human rights abuse allegations.Those include murder, torture and rape in almost every country where it has been known to be active. So how is Wagner PMC financed?