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[Rev Jones]

Zooruka, I respect you but I absolutely have to disagree with you on this one. Back in the Jeltsin days oligarchs were the de facto rulers in Russia. They had bought large state companies and privatized them, had sold off a lot of stuff too and became amazingly rich. Think of oil and gas too. With that money came poltical power and influence as well.

When Putin rose to power these oligarchs thought they could make deals with Putin and use him like a figurehead like they had sort of done with Jeltsin.

However, over the years Putin has driven most of these men away from power and/or riches through trials, jail time etc. There were about 6 to 7 really big oligarchs back in the Jeltsin days. About two of them are still 'in power', be it that they still own their fortune BUT have to do what Putin says.

Putin was underestimated in Russia by the powers that be initially and that was their fatal mistake.

Make no mistake about it, there are still a lot of wealthy and powerful people around Putin but 80% of them came up during the Putin reign and are therefore loyal to him. They depend on him, not the other way around.