9. Gangster Capitalism and Protection Rackets
In the lawless climate of 1990s Russia, violence and intimidation became standard business tools. Oligarchs and criminal groups often operated in tandem, with business tycoons hiring gangs for protection—or to eliminate rivals. These protection rackets blurred the line between legitimate enterprise and outright extortion, making survival and profit inseparable from the underworld. The symbiotic relationship between Russia’s new elite and organized crime became a defining feature of the era’s “gangster capitalism.” (via The New Yorker).
