Prior to his most famous business venture, the creation of the Wagner private military company, Prigozhin rose from a hot dog salesman on the streets of St. Petersburg to a powerful businessman in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. Spearheaded by his successful catering company, Prigozhin expanded his business empire into numerous ventures, ranging from media companies to gold mines to"troll factories."With his death, ownership of his business empire remains in question.
Potential employees were subject to a two-hour polygraphed interrogation, ensuring their loyalty to the government. Some employees were paid to harass Russian celebrities or social media users critical of the government, attempting to get their shows and appearances shut down. Prigozhin's ownership of the network had already come into question after his abortive mutiny in June. With his death, the future of the network is uncertain.