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Probably not true, but he is indeed super rich. If common state-media-brainwashed folks in Russia knew how rich he is, and all of it is stolen from all Russian

Probably not true, but he is indeed super rich. If common state-media-brainwashed folks in Russia knew how rich he is, and all of it is stolen from all Russian citizens bit by bit (actually billion by billion), they would hang him on the nearest street light unceremoniously. I would expect that he diversified his wealth all over the world via 'friends', stored in shady wealth management companies, well located banks, and probably few tonnes of good old $$ and gold. Some bankers in one Zurich bank might give you some info (but might not be alive to confirm it afterwards). But he has good PR - it often looks ridiculous to western eyes, but for most russians it hits some obscure sweet spot. And of course he is not some lone wolf, rather guy on top of a massive pyramid with tons of FSB people who know their stuff a bit too well. Who else would you be expecting to run huge broken country like Russia for so long so successfully? I mean, even Arafat died as a billionaire, and Palestine ain't some Eldorado to begin with.

bjourne 8y ago
Arafat didn't. See f.e https://www.quora.com/Where-is-Yasser-Arafats-supposed-1-3-billion-wealth-before-he-died-today https://www.quora.com/Where-is-Yasser-Arafats-supposed-1-3-b.... Who knows how much money Putin has embezzled? Since no one has any idea, I think it is wrong to claim it must be this or that much. It's just shots in the dark.
- wahern 8y ago
  The Panama Papers provide some concrete examples of how Putin siphons money and puts a rough floor on the dollar value he embezzled for his personal benefit or of his inner sanctum: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-money-hidden-offshore https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-m... That said, it's sort of beside the point. Unlike petty dictators, Putin holds real and substantial power--power that money can't buy outright, and power that he'll probably continue holding until his death. He doesn't need an exit strategy and a golden parachute. OTOH, he secured much of that power redirecting assets. It's less unbelievable that Putin has deliberately permitted $200 billion of embezzled funds to be redirected to those who do his bidding.
  - saiya-jin 8y ago
    I don't claim to know how much he stole (I don't think even he knows it personally, that's what you use accountants for), but that major Zurich bank I mentioned ain't some empty talk - I've met the a bit too talkative wife of one of those bankers, and these kind of deals are still not uncommon in wealth management. And this is just one out of many examples, Panama papers reveal more. He doesn't need the exit strategy now, but it would be stupid of him not to have one (probably more than one), because nobody knows what future will bring. You only need one charismatic opponent to undermine him. Overall I think he isn't a bad person for the position he has - he is definitely not outright evil, also definitely not weak and probably quite a patriot. But Russia could have achieved much more than where they are right now, with better leadership. At least in theory.

bjourne 8y ago

Arafat didn't. See f.e https://www.quora.com/Where-is-Yasser-Arafats-supposed-1-3-billion-wealth-before-he-died-today https://www.quora.com/Where-is-Yasser-Arafats-supposed-1-3-b.... Who knows how much money Putin has embezzled? Since no one has any idea, I think it is wrong to claim it must be this or that much. It's just shots in the dark.

wahern 8y ago
The Panama Papers provide some concrete examples of how Putin siphons money and puts a rough floor on the dollar value he embezzled for his personal benefit or of his inner sanctum: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-money-hidden-offshore https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/03/panama-papers-m... That said, it's sort of beside the point. Unlike petty dictators, Putin holds real and substantial power--power that money can't buy outright, and power that he'll probably continue holding until his death. He doesn't need an exit strategy and a golden parachute. OTOH, he secured much of that power redirecting assets. It's less unbelievable that Putin has deliberately permitted $200 billion of embezzled funds to be redirected to those who do his bidding.
- saiya-jin 8y ago
  I don't claim to know how much he stole (I don't think even he knows it personally, that's what you use accountants for), but that major Zurich bank I mentioned ain't some empty talk - I've met the a bit too talkative wife of one of those bankers, and these kind of deals are still not uncommon in wealth management. And this is just one out of many examples, Panama papers reveal more. He doesn't need the exit strategy now, but it would be stupid of him not to have one (probably more than one), because nobody knows what future will bring. You only need one charismatic opponent to undermine him. Overall I think he isn't a bad person for the position he has - he is definitely not outright evil, also definitely not weak and probably quite a patriot. But Russia could have achieved much more than where they are right now, with better leadership. At least in theory.