Foundations linked to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev have amassed about $850 million since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, RFE/RL's Russian investigative unit, Systema, has found.
The rising fortunes of the foundations coincides with a wartime reincarnation of Medvedev, 59, who was dismissed as prime minister by President Vladimir Putin in 2020.
But he has found an audience of millions in a new role as an online attack dog while keeping a hand in government as deputy chairman of Putin's Security Council and chairman of the dominant United Russia party.
Medvedev, a once mild-mannered, moderate figure, has championed the war in wildly hawkish, hate-filled social media rants against Kyiv and the West.