Russia's Crony Capitalism

The Path from Market Economy to Kleptocracy

By: Anders Aslund

Narrated by: Roger Clark

A penetrating look into the extreme plutocracy Vladimir Putin has created and its implications for Russia's future...

This insightful study explores how the economic system Vladimir Putin has developed in Russia works to consolidate control over the country. By appointing his close associates as heads of state enterprises and by giving control of the FSB and the judiciary to his friends from the KGB, he has enriched his business friends from Saint Petersburg with preferential government deals. Thus, Putin has created a super wealthy and loyal plutocracy that owes its existence to authoritarianism.

Much of this wealth has been hidden in offshore havens in the United States and the United Kingdom, where companies with anonymous owners and black money transfers are allowed to thrive. Though beneficial to a select few, this system has left Russia's economy in untenable stagnation, which Putin has tried to mask through military might.

©2019 Anders Aslund (P)2019 Tantor

Thorough, provocative, and insightful

This book is a tour de force. The author's thorough analysis is excellent, and he offers a detailed, thorough analysis of Russian capitalism, ranging from the issues with intersections between free market forces and the government, and an incredibly insightful analysis of Mr. Putin's financial history and current status. It is well narrated and, overall, very easy to recommend.

Excellent, fresh take on Putin's regime

Anders Aslund is a clarion voice and his knowledge of Russia is very impressive. He clearly explains complex economic and foreign policy concepts and makes them easy to understand and conveys why it all matters, for the population of Russia as well as for the West. I truly admire Aslund 's forming longstanding ties to the Russian opposition movement and his continuing support for Alexei Navalny.

great book, so so narration

this book is a detailed insightful overview of the history development and inner economic workings of Putin's Mafia state. The book is well-written and well-researched. the narration however suffers from the narrator evidently not having taken the time to learn even the basics about pronouncing Russian words and names. Some of them are so badly mispronounced they are difficult to recognize.