Soldier of Fortune Advisory Committee: Meet Blackwater Founder Erik Prince

by Susan Katz Keating

Today marks the next installment of a new development at Soldier of Fortune: the SOF Advisory Committee. The members are people I trust and admire, and who I have known over the years. They all are veterans who have made significant marks in the military and security milieu. Today: Blackwater founder Erik Prince.

I first met Erik Prince many years ago when we both were part of an effort to build a museum honoring military service. As part of that project, I saw his deep knowledge of military history, operations, and equipment, and his love of country. He flew several of us into the Blackwater compound in Moyock, North Carolina, where I saw first hand the premium facilities and training – and had a good day at the range! Here’s what he’s doing now.

Erik D. Prince is a US-born entrepreneur, philanthropist, Navy SEAL veteran and private equity investor with business interests in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America.  A strong supporter of economic development in emerging markets, he is the founder and chairman of Frontier Resource Group, a private equity firm that invests in transformative natural resource projects. 

Prior to establishing the Frontier Group of companies, Mr. Prince founded and ultimately sold Blackwater USA, a provider of global security, training and logistics solutions to the US Government and others, which he sold in 2010 and Presidential Airways, a global transportation company with over 75 aircraft operating in emerging markets. 

Mr. Prince is married, and between himself and his wife Stacy enjoy raising 12 children. He was educated at Hillsdale College in Michigan and upon graduation joined the US Navy, where he served as a Navy SEAL officer until 1996.  Mr. Prince’s philanthropic endeavors are focused on refugees, humanitarian relief and economic development.

Mr. Prince’s career of extensive professional engagements throughout the world give him a unique perspective on developing economic trends, opportunities and risks to consider.

Here he is at a speech and Q&A before the Oxford Union in the United Kingdom.

We are delighted to have him as part of the Soldier of Fortune advisory committee, where he joins a stellar group. Members are as follows, in alphabetical order.

“Black Hawk Down” badass Norman Hooten

Legendary CIA covert warrior Ric Prado

Vietnam Wall founder Jan Scruggs

Urban warfare expert John Spencer