--- title: "Bumbling Russian Space Boss Forced to Slash Huge Raise He Gave Himself" description: "Russia's space agency Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin making a series of increasingly bizarre public communications — and the consequences may now be starting to show." date: "2022-03-04" modified: "2022-03-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/dmitry-rogozin-pay-cut" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "dmitry rogozin" - "Roscosmos" - "Russia" - "the digest" --- # Bumbling Russian Space Boss Forced to Slash Huge Raise He Gave Himself ![Russia's space agency Roscosmos has cut itself off from the international space community, with its head Dmitry Rogozin making a series of increasingly bizarre public communications — and the consequences may now be starting to show.]() *\Image: Roscosmos\* ## Space Boss Russia's space agency Roscosmos has [cut itself off]() from the international space community, with its head Dmitry Rogozin making a series of [increasingly bizarre public communications]() — and the consequences may now be starting to show. During Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Rogozin has made [several inflammatory comments]() in response to Russia being targeted with renewed [waves of economic sanctions](). As a result, Roscosmos is really starting to feel the pressure. In fact, according to [Russian state media](), Rogozin has cut his own salary, and those of other top figures at the agency, significantly. Rogozin "cut his salary and payments to top managers" by 30 percent "under the conditions of sanctions," an anonymous insider source told *RIA Novosti*. Rogozin made today's equivalent of $774,000 back in 2020 — worth just over $1.3 million at the time, long before the [ruble cratered]() this week after the invasion — according to the report. While 30 percent may sound like a decent chunk of money, the decision isn't exactly going to financially ruin him. According to *Ars Technica*, Rogozin [gave himself massive raises]() in 2018 and 2019, inflating his take-home considerably year after year. ## Consequences In many ways, Roscosmos' financial troubles are a direct result of Rogozin's own actions. The space agency head has repeatedly lashed out at the international space community over the last couple of days, going as far as to [threaten the US and other spacefaring nations](). Roscosmos also burned bridges with Europe, with Rogozin [demanding that the UK-based OneWeb]() provide the agency with guarantees it would not use its satellites to target Russia. Roscosmos was set to help OneWeb launch 36 broadband satellites from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on March 4. The launch was [promptly canceled](), with OneWeb being [caught unawares]() by Rogozin's bizarre demands. But it's not OneWeb that could soon face bankruptcy, as Rogozin [suggested]() in a recent televised statement. "If anyone is in a stressed financial position, it's Roscosmos, which has been isolating itself from some of its biggest clients amidst the barrage of Western sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine," *New York Times* space reporter Joey Roulette said in [a tweet]() today. **More on Rogozin:** *[Russia Mocked for Cutting US Off From Its Outdated Rocket Engines]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()