8. The Emergence of Russian Tycoons
The mid-1990s saw the rise of Russia’s first celebrity tycoons, including Boris Berezovsky and Roman Abramovich. These men leveraged political connections, economic chaos, and sheer audacity to build vast business empires spanning oil, media, and industry. Their names became synonymous with both spectacular wealth and controversy—admired for their cunning, but often feared for their influence. They defined the archetype of the Russian oligarch, reshaping the nation’s social and economic landscape (via Forbes).
