Who Is Mikhail Zygar? Age, Biography and Wiki
Mikhail Zygar, born on January 31, 1981, is a prominent Russian journalist and author known for his incisive insights and investigative reporting. As of 2025, Zygar is 44 years old. He gained international recognition for his work and has been a vocal advocate for press freedom in Russia. Zygar is acclaimed for his book "All the Kremlin’s Men," which offers a deep dive into the inner workings of the Russian political system.
| Occupation | Journalist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | January 31, 1981 |
| Age | 44 Years |
| Birth Place | Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Russia) |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Country | Russia |
Popularity
Mikhail Zygar's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Details about Mikhail Zygar's physical stature are not widely published. However, it is estimated that he stands at approximately 6 feet tall (183 cm) and weighs around 170 pounds (77 kg). While exact body measurements aren't publicly available, Zygar maintains a healthy and fit appearance, often seen in professional attire reflecting his journalism background.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Mikhail Zygar's personal life has been somewhat private, with few known details about his family and relationships. As of 2025, he is reportedly single and focusing on his career. There have been no confirmed reports of a boyfriend or girlfriend, reflecting his commitment to his work in journalism and activism. His family background remains largely undisclosed, as Zygar prefers to keep that part of his life away from the public eye.
Net Worth and Salary
Mikhail Zygar's net worth is estimated to be around $2 million in 2025. His wealth stems from his successful career as a journalist, author, and public speaker. Zygar has made significant earnings from his books, articles, and various speaking engagements. This financial stability allows him to support his passion for journalism and advocate for freedom of expression.
Career, Business and Investments
Zygar's career spans several significant roles in journalism, including serving as the editor-in-chief of TV Rain (Dozhd), Russia's foremost independent TV channel. His dedication to truth in journalism has earned him both accolades and challenges. In recent years, Zygar has ventured into writing, focusing on political analysis and non-fiction works that critique the Russian regime.
His business acumen has also led him to make strategic investments in digital media and technology, potentially expanding his influence and reach. Zygar's work continues to inspire journalists and activists around the globe.
In 2014, TV Rain became a target of politically motivated attacks. Its troubles began when the channel was aggressively covering the daily anti-government protests in Ukraine, which state-owned television dismissed as a neo-Nazi coup. In that year, nearly all cable networks dropped TV Rain and since then the channel has been largely ignored.
The channel cut its expenses in half, shed about 30 percent of its staff and reduced its monthly budget before being hit with an eviction notice. Simultaneously, TV Rain raised about $1 million in a crowd-funding campaign in March, proving that the demand for independent media in Russia is still there.
The TV-channel started broadcasting from an ordinary flat in Moscow.
Social Network
Mikhail Zygar actively engages with his audience on various social media platforms, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. With thousands of followers across these platforms, he uses his influence to raise awareness about pressing political issues and the importance of a free press. His online presence showcases his commitment to journalism, where he shares insights, updates, and commentary on current events.
Mikhail Viktorovich Zygar (born 31 January 1981) is a Russian born journalist, writer and filmmaker, and the founding editor-in-chief of Russian news channel TV Rain (2010–2015).
Under Zygar's leadership, TV Rain provided an alternative to Kremlin-controlled federal TV channels by focusing on news content and giving a platform to opposition voices.
The channel's coverage of politically sensitive issues, like the Moscow street protests in 2011 and 2012 as well as the Russo-Ukrainian war, has been dramatically different from the official coverage by Russia's national television stations.
Zygar is also the author of the book All the Kremlin's Men (2017), the history of Putin's Russia, based on interviews with Russian politicians from Putin's inner circle.
Education
Zygar graduated from Moscow State University, where he studied journalism. His education laid the foundation for his successful career in media, equipping him with the skills necessary to navigate the complexities of journalism in the turbulent landscape of Russian politics. His time at university was marked by a growing passion for investigative reporting and media ethics, which continue to guide his professional endeavors today.
All the Kremlin's Men (2015). The book became the most important Russian non-fiction about the metamorphoses of Putin and his inner circle. The book was the #1 bestseller in Russia for 4 months.
In it, Zygar traces Vladimir Putin's ascent to become the most powerful Russian president in decades, and illustrates the grip that extreme paranoia has on Moscow's power elite. It took Zygar seven years to write, interviewing current and former associates of the Russian president.
In his book, Zygar battles against the idealization of Putin as a savvy and ingenious puppet-master; both the demonic version put forth by the West, and the idolizing version propagated by Russia's official state media. Zygar is far from adopting the insulted tone of the Russian establishment in his assessment.
He is more interested in tracing Russian leadership's slide into the aggressive worldview that has eventually led to the war in Eastern Ukraine and military intervention in Syria.
