Different from the rest of us
A Russian bank's report allows Russians to proclaim, "We're number two!"Number two at what? And what does this have to do with politics and governance in Russia?
Billionaires boom as Putin puts oligarchs at No 2 in global rich list
"While 'oligarchs' from the era of former president Boris Yeltsin have been purged by the Kremlin, a new breed of super-rich tycoons has thrived under Vladimir Putin, bringing the number of dollar billionaires in the country to more than 100. Russia now has the most billionaires in the world after the US...
"According to an annual survey published by Russia's respected Finans magazine... the number of Russian billionaires had soared to 101, compared with 61 last year...
"Many tycoons live in the wealthy ghetto of Rublyovskoye Shosse, near the Putin's dacha on the edge of Moscow, where Lamborghini showrooms jostle alongside Gucci boutiques. Plastic surgery is a huge growth industry, while elite restaurants and nightspots are booming. The capital's uber-wealthy set were shocked this month when their favourite club, Dyagilev, burned down. Tables costing up to £7,500 a night had ensured privacy away from the prying eyes of ordinary Russians, who earn less than £300 a month on average...
"The survey confirms the dominance of a tier of tycoons who have developed friendly relations with the Kremlin by agreeing to Putin's ultimatum to stay out of politics...
"While Russia's economic boom has begun to trickle down to an embryonic middle class, social inequality has risen as the super-rich accelerate away..."
Labels: economics, politics, Russia
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:47 AM
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