Russia's New Oligarchy
The news that Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's nominee to succeed him as president, wants Putin to become prime minister of Russia next year opens one option for Putin to retain power after his term ends. Putin has little choice but to stay in power as long as he can.
A year ago, a famous Russian journalist asked me: "Is it true that Putin has a net fortune of $35 to 40 billion?" (This journalist, of course, has long been excluded from Kremlin-controlled media.)
This fall, the respected Polish magazine Wprost published its annual response to Forbes, its list of the richest people in Eastern Europe.… Seguir leyendo »