Chechen Head Ramzan Kadyrov has tasked his 17-year-old son, Adam Kadyrov, with overseeing the payment of property taxes by municipal-level organisations.
Kadyrov announced the decision on Wednesday at an extended meeting with members of the Chechen government, which was devoted to the socio-economic development of the region. The appointment was reported by the local news agency Chechnya Today.
The official statement does not specify what exact powers are being given to the teenager, to what extent, or whether he will receive a salary or any other form of remuneration for this work. It also remains unclear for what period Adam Kadyrov will be responsible for this task and which municipal companies will fall under his supervision.
This is the seventh official position Adam Kadyrov has received since 2023. He gained widespread public attention that year when he assaulted Nikita Zhuravel, a Russian man accused of burning the Quran, in a pre-trial detention centre.
Adam Kadyrov is also the head of his father’s personal security service, the secretary of Chechnya’s Security Council, the overseer of the Special Forces University in Gudermes, the overseer of Chechnya’s Baisangur of Benoa and Sheikh Mansur battalions (part of the Defence Ministry), the ‘supervisor’ of the Chechen Interior Ministry, and the overseer of fundraising for humanitarian aid to residents of the Gaza Strip.
Adam Kadyrov obtained the appointments despite being underage and having no political experience. It is not clear whether he has completed school — according to public announcements, he started first grade in 2015, but there has been no information about his academic progress since. Ramzan Kadyrov has not stated whether his son completed school externally, so Adam Kadyrov should currently only be in the 10th grade.
There has been widespread speculation that Kadyrov is grooming Adam as his successor, and is seeking a legal or political mechanism through which power could be transferred to him. Under Russian law, direct transfer of official government positions to family members is not permitted, and the minimum age to be the head of a region is 30.
Earlier this week, journalists noticed Adam Kadyrov wearing a Jacob & Co watch — the Epic SF24 model decorated with 104 diamonds. The price of the watch is estimated at more than ₽41 million ($500,000). At his wedding, he wore Billionaire ASHOKA watches, encrusted with hundreds of diamonds. The estimated value of that watch was around $7 million.
Elizaveta Chukharova
