7. Marko Milosevic used his infamous father’s power and connections to launch a career in the Serbian underworld
Having a president for a father is a good way of getting ahead in the competitive world of organized crime – as Marko Milosevic well understood. For more than a decade, the son of the former Serbian number one, took full advantage of his elevated status, amassing a fortune until the Yugoslav Wars erupted and swept his father from power and he and his family from the country and into exile.
Milosevic Junior was born in Belgrade in 1974. At that time, his father Slobodan was still making a name for himself in Serbian politics. Together, they would appear at political rallies, helping Slobodan cultivate a family man image he would use to rise to the very top. After a relatively normal childhood, he started going off the rails. Marko was sent away to a private school in Belgrade and here, his biographers claim, he saw more of his personal bodyguards than he ever did of his parents.
Marko was not interested at all in his studies. He preferred fast cars and guns. He dropped out of school and started easing himself into the Serbian underworld. Family connections meant that he was able to avoid being conscripted into the army, and instead, he made full use of his father’s contacts and influence to – allegedly – become a leading smuggler, brining cigarettes, drugs and stolen cars into the country. Marko was also not shy when it came to using violence to protect his interests, and some historians have linked him to several killings. For a while, he looked untouchable. Then, in October 2000, his father was ousted as President.
No longer protected by the highest office in the land, Marko fled to Russia. Though he lost much of his wealth, with the Serbian mafia taking control of his smuggling routes as well as taking his properties and luxury cars, at least he was safe in Moscow. Russia has since granted Marko and his family refugee status in the country, meaning he is safe from prosecution by the Serbian government. However, he remains unable to travel to many parts of the world, including all of Europe and China.