Published on May 13th, 2023

Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death,” is a former Russian military officer and international arms dealer. Born in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in 1967, Bout began his career in the Soviet military as a translator and later became a pilot.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, he started his own cargo airline, which he used to transport goods around the world, including weapons and military equipment.

Bout’s arms trafficking activities came to the attention of law enforcement agencies in the 1990s. He was accused of arming various factions in African conflicts, including the Taliban in Afghanistan and rebel groups in Sierra Leone and Angola. In 2000, he was placed on a United Nations sanctions list for his involvement in arms smuggling.

Despite these allegations, Bout continued to operate his arms trafficking network. He was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand in 2008 in a sting operation carried out by US and Thai authorities.

Bout had agreed to sell weapons to US undercover agents posing as members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a designated terrorist organization.

In 2010, Bout was extradited to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, conspiracy to kill US nationals, and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. He was convicted on all charges in 2011 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Bout’s case garnered international attention and controversy, with some arguing that he was a victim of entrapment and others asserting that he was a dangerous arms dealer who deserved to be held accountable for his actions. Despite the conviction, some have raised concerns that Bout’s network of arms trafficking continues to operate today.

Viktor Bout’s story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of international arms trafficking and the impact it can have on global conflicts and security. It also highlights the importance of international cooperation in combating illicit activities that threaten global peace and stability.

Viktor Bout Physical Appearance

Height	Weight	Hair Color	Eye Color
Approximately 6 feet (183 cm)	Unknown	Brown	Unknown

Early Life

Viktor Bout was born on January 13, 1967, in Dushanbe, the capital city of the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic. His parents were both teachers, and he grew up in a family that valued education and hard work. As a child, Bout was known for his intelligence and discipline, and he excelled in his studies.

After completing his secondary education, Bout enrolled in the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow, where he studied English and Portuguese. He then joined the Soviet military as a translator and was stationed in Angola, where he worked with the government forces during the Angolan Civil War.

Bout’s experience in Angola gave him valuable insights into the global arms trade, as he saw firsthand the ways in which weapons were smuggled into conflict zones. He left the military in 1991 and returned to Moscow, where he founded an air cargo company called Transavia Export Cargo.

With his military training and knowledge of foreign languages, Bout quickly became a successful businessman, transporting goods such as food, medicine, and consumer goods to countries around the world. He also began to specialize in transporting weapons and military equipment, using his extensive network of contacts in the military and intelligence communities to source arms from various countries.

Bout’s early life and military experience gave him the skills and knowledge he needed to become one of the world’s most notorious arms dealers. His ability to speak multiple languages and navigate complex international regulations and customs made him a valuable asset to criminal organizations and rogue states seeking to obtain weapons and military equipment. However, his activities would eventually lead to his downfall and imprisonment.

Family

Viktor Bout was born into a family of educators. His father was a teacher of Russian language and literature, and his mother was a teacher of mathematics. Bout had two brothers, Sergei and Albert, and a sister, Lyudmila.

There is not much information available about Bout’s siblings, except that Sergei Bout was a businessman who had also been involved in aviation, and had faced legal troubles in Russia. Albert Bout was a pilot like his brother Viktor, and reportedly worked for Transavia Export Cargo, the air cargo company Viktor Bout had founded. Lyudmila Bout is not known to have been involved in aviation or business.

Viktor Bout himself was married and had a daughter, but details about his family life are not widely available. After his arrest and conviction, his family maintained that he was innocent and had been unfairly targeted by the US government.

Education

Viktor Bout had a strong educational background that prepared him for a career in the military and later in the aviation industry. He attended the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow, where he studied English and Portuguese. The Military Institute of Foreign Languages was a prestigious institution that trained interpreters and translators for the Soviet military and intelligence services.

Bout’s education at the Military Institute of Foreign Languages gave him the language skills he needed to communicate with military and government officials from different countries. He also received training in military tactics and strategy, which would later help him understand the needs of his clients in the arms trade.

In addition to his formal education, Bout was known for his curiosity and love of learning. He was an avid reader and reportedly read widely on topics related to aviation, business, and international affairs. This self-directed learning likely contributed to Bout’s success in the aviation and arms industries, as he was able to stay up-to-date on developments in these fields and adapt his business strategies accordingly.

Bout’s education and love of learning played an important role in his early success, but it was his entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to take risks that ultimately led to his notoriety as an international arms dealer.

Career

Viktor Bout had a varied and controversial career that spanned several decades and involved various industries, including aviation, shipping, and arms dealing. Here is a brief overview of Bout’s career:

Aviation Industry: After leaving the military in 1991, Bout founded an air cargo company called Transavia Export Cargo. The company quickly became one of the largest air cargo carriers in Russia, transporting goods such as food, medicine, and consumer goods to countries around the world. Bout used his extensive network of contacts in the military and intelligence communities to source arms and military equipment, which he would sometimes transport using his cargo planes.

Arms Dealing: Bout’s air cargo company eventually became a front for his arms dealing activities. He established a network of companies and intermediaries that allowed him to move weapons and military equipment around the world, often to conflict zones or countries under sanctions. Bout had clients all over the world, including African warlords, Middle Eastern dictators, and Latin American guerrilla groups. He was able to evade authorities for many years by using false end-user certificates, shell companies, and other methods of concealing his activities.

Legal Troubles: Bout’s illicit activities eventually caught up with him. In 2008, he was arrested in Thailand in a sting operation conducted by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Bout had traveled to Thailand to meet with undercover agents posing as buyers for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla group classified as a terrorist organization by the US government. Bout was extradited to the United States in 2010, where he was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization and other crimes. He was found guilty in 2011 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Viktor Bout’s career was marked by controversy and danger, as he operated in the shadows of the international arms trade, often dealing with unsavory clients and using illegal methods to move weapons and military equipment around the world. While he maintained his innocence throughout his trial and imprisonment, Bout’s activities contributed to destabilizing conflicts and undermining global security.

Viktor Bout Net Worth

It is difficult to determine Viktor Bout’s net worth with accuracy, as much of his wealth was acquired through illegal means, such as arms trafficking and money laundering. Additionally, Bout went to great lengths to conceal his wealth and often used shell companies and other methods to obscure his financial transactions.

However, it is believed that at the height of his arms dealing activities, Bout’s net worth may have been in the hundreds of millions of dollars. He had a global network of clients and intermediaries, and was able to move large quantities of weapons and military equipment, often in conflict zones or countries under sanctions. Bout’s air cargo company, Transavia Export Cargo, was also a successful business in its own right, with a fleet of planes and a large staff.

Despite his considerable wealth, Bout was known for living modestly and avoiding ostentatious displays of wealth. He reportedly invested much of his money in real estate, but also used his wealth to support causes he believed in, such as education and charity work.

Ultimately, Bout’s wealth did not protect him from legal troubles, as he was arrested and convicted for his role in international arms trafficking. He is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.

Wiki

Category	Information
Full Name	Viktor Anatolyevich Bout
Date of Birth	January 13, 1967
Place of Birth	Dushanbe, Tajik SSR, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian
Education	Military Institute of Foreign Languages, Moscow
Career	Air cargo and arms dealer
Notable Business Ventures	Transavia Export Cargo
Criminal Charges	Conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, illegal arms trafficking, money laundering
Arrest and Conviction	Arrested in Thailand in 2008, extradited to the United States, found guilty in 2011 and sentenced to 25 years in prison
Controversies	Accused of selling arms to African warlords, Middle Eastern dictators, and Latin American guerrilla groups; evading UN sanctions; and supporting terrorist organizations
Net Worth	Estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars at the height of his arms dealing activities
Family	Married with a son and a daughter

Relationship Status

There is limited information available about Viktor Bout’s current relationship status, as he is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States.

However, it is known that Bout was married and had a son and a daughter.

His wife, Alla Bout, was also involved in his businesses and was convicted alongside him for money laundering and wire fraud.

The couple was known to be private and kept a low profile, avoiding publicity and media attention.

Interesting Facts About Viktor Bout

1. Viktor Bout was known as the “Merchant of Death” for his role in illegal arms trafficking and his willingness to sell weapons to anyone, regardless of their intentions or the consequences.

2. He was born in Dushanbe, Tajik SSR (now Tajikistan), and grew up in Soviet Russia. He was fluent in several languages, including English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

3. Viktor Bout’s air cargo company, Transavia Export Cargo, operated a fleet of planes and had offices and subsidiaries in several countries. It was used to transport not only arms but also other goods, including diamonds, precious metals, and even frozen chickens.

4. Bout was known for his ability to evade law enforcement and intelligence agencies, using a variety of aliases, shell companies, and other methods to obscure his activities and financial transactions.

5. In addition to his arms trafficking activities, Viktor Bout was involved in several humanitarian and philanthropic causes, including donating money to schools and supporting charity work in his home country of Russia.

6. Bout’s life and career were the inspiration for the 2005 movie “Lord of War,” starring Nicolas Cage as an arms dealer loosely based on Viktor Bout.

7. Despite his wealth and success, Viktor Bout lived modestly and avoided flashy displays of wealth. He was known to wear simple clothing and drive an old car.

8. Bout’s capture and conviction were the result of a complex and multinational operation involving undercover agents, wiretaps, and intelligence gathering.

9. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the United States, where he was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

FAQs About Viktor Bout

Q: Who is Viktor Bout?

A: Viktor Bout is a Russian arms dealer who gained notoriety for his involvement in illegal arms trafficking and his willingness to sell weapons to anyone, regardless of their intentions or the consequences.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s nickname?

A: Viktor Bout’s nickname is the “Merchant of Death,” due to his involvement in illegal arms trafficking.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s net worth?

A: At the height of his arms dealing activities, Viktor Bout’s net worth was estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Q: What were Viktor Bout’s criminal charges?

A: Viktor Bout was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization, illegal arms trafficking, and money laundering.

Q: When was Viktor Bout arrested?

A: Viktor Bout was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the United States.

Q: When was Viktor Bout convicted?

A: Viktor Bout was convicted in November 2011 and sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s current status?

A: Viktor Bout is currently serving his sentence in a federal prison in the United States.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s family background?

A: Viktor Bout’s family background is not well-known, but he was married with a son and a daughter.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s educational background?

A: Viktor Bout attended the Military Institute of Foreign Languages in Moscow.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s business background?

A: Viktor Bout’s main business venture was Transavia Export Cargo, which was used to transport arms and other goods to various countries.

Q: What is Viktor Bout’s relationship status?

A: There is limited information available about Viktor Bout’s current relationship status, as he is currently serving a prison sentence. However, he was married and had a son and a daughter.

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