The waste of the oligarchs of the "old wave" was legendary. Russian businessmen bought yachts and country mansions, spent tens of thousands of dollars on banquets and attracted attention in every possible way. When Putin came to power, everything changed: the oligarchs who remained at large began to behave quietly and calmly, spending their millions without much publicity.
The behavior of the oligarchs of the 90s seriously worried the Russian government. Millionaires and billionaires caused an extremely negative attitude towards themselves both among their own fellow citizens and abroad. The names of Deripaska, Prokhorov, Abramovich began to symbolize the flashy luxury of the upper echelon of Russian business. Since this situation did not suit Putin, the oligarchs had to "slow down."
How modern oligarchs behave
French journalists from the newspaper Le Figaro tried to find out how modern oligarchs behave. It turned out that millionaires and billionaires of the "new wave" live modestly. They are engaged in business and quietly make new billions under the wing of the authorities, without attracting too much attention to themselves. Rotenberg, Kovalchuk, Timchenko build their empires, avoiding publicity and publicity.
Timchenko runs Russia's most lucrative business: oil. The oil trading company Gunvor and one of the branches of Russian Railways operate under the leadership of Timchenko. The oligarch calmly pumps oil and is engaged in its transportation, without even thinking about politics. This exemplary behavior makes itself felt: a trader, unknown to anyone back in 2000, has become a respected and respectable businessman in 14 years.
Kovalchuk is a banker, unpopular in the media, but very well-known in business circles. This oligarch is building a thermal power station in St. Petersburg, laying a highway connecting the two capitals, and reconstructing large highways. Another modest builder, Rotenberg, is laying pipelines for pumping oil by Gazprom.
Oligarchs and power go hand in hand
The oligarchs of the "new wave" are united not only by their dislike of politics. According to foreign experts, there are only three industries that generate super-profits in Russia: construction, energy, finance. These three industries are in the hands of businessmen who are completely loyal to the current government. Most of the largest oligarchs are of "St. Petersburg" origin, and Medvedev belongs to the same clan. In addition, the oligarchs are associated with the government through many connections and informal relationships. For example, Putin is the honorary president of the Rotenberg judo club "Yawara-Neva".
In order to be friends with the authorities, oligarchs need to live by the rules. They must behave quietly and calmly, work for the good of the state and make billions with the least publicity, so as not to upset the people over trifles. In addition, the oligarchs must seek permission from the authorities to conduct particularly large transactions. Any attempts to resist are suppressed with lightning speed and in the bud.
