Rich and voiceless: How Putin has kept Russia's billionaires on side in the war

The article discusses how Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained control over the country's billionaires during the conflict with Ukraine. Over the years, Putin has diminished the political influence of wealthy individuals, known as oligarchs, ensuring their loyalty through a mixture of incentives and punishments. Those who openly criticized the war faced severe consequences, such as having their businesses nationalized or sold at a fraction of their value. Despite economic hardships due to sanctions and the war, many billionaires flourished by aligning with Putin's war economy, resulting in a record number of billionaires in Russia.