Erik Prince has long been associated with Blackwater, the private security company that the former Navy SEAL officer founded in 1997 and which thrived under George W. Bush's presidency. Closely linked to American neoconservatives, Prince secured over $1 billion in government contracts, first in Afghanistan and then predominantly in Iraq. The impunity these mercenaries enjoyed, despite their brutality, persisted until a 2007 shooting in the heart of Baghdad, during which 14 civilians were killed.

Publicly criticized, Prince proved more provocative than conciliatory, forcing him to liquidate Blackwater in 2010. He then exiled himself for three years to the United Arab Emirates, which granted him more than half a billion dollars in "operational support" contracts for their military. This essentially involved establishing a force of 800 mercenaries tasked with "special operations."

Accusing Barack Obama's administration of targeting him, Prince mobilized his connections, including those in the Emirates, in support of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. His activism earned him a hearing before Congress over concerns about potential Russian interference in the election. Prince admitted only to meeting a Kremlin adviser in the Seychelles in January 2017, just days before Trump's inauguration, a meeting arranged by Emirati leaders, who have long had ties with Moscow.

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