Who is Erik Prince?
In short
Erik Prince is an American businessman and the founder of the private military contractor Blackwater. He is currently in the news following reports that his security forces, linked to Vectus Global, suffered a major battlefield loss during an ambush in the Democratic Republic of Congo in mid-September 2026.
Who they are now
He is an American businessman and the founder of Blackwater. He also leads security operations through entities such as Vectus Global.
Why they are in the news
People are searching for him because his forces reportedly suffered a significant ambush in eastern Congo that left at least 20 people dead or injured, including former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy.
An example of their work
He founded Blackwater USA, which became a well-known private military contractor. He also established the private equity firm Frontier Resource Group in 2012.