Russian Godfathers

In the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, state-owned assets and resources of the former world superpower were seized by a tiny group of smart, ruthless, and well-connected businessmen. The group, collectively dubbed the Russian oligarchs, quickly joined the ranks of the world’s richest people -- and now battle Russian president Vladimir Putin for economic and political control of the country. In a political climate in which journalists and other critics of the Kremlin face imprison…