by Ben Mezrich
First published 2015
Ben Mezrich chronicles the rise and fall of two Russian oligarchs who seized vast wealth from the Soviet collapse. The story centers on Boris Berezovsky, a former mathematician turned "Godfather of the Kremlin," and his protégé Roman Abramovich. Berezovsky acts as Abramovich's krysha, protecting the younger man as he builds a multi-billion-dollar oil and aluminum empire. Their partnership generates enormous profits, with Abramovich delivering $491 million to Berezovsky in a single year. The relationship fractures when Berezovsky attacks Vladimir Putin publicly and flees to London. Abramovich thrives under Putin's regime while Berezovsky faces exile, threats, and associates dying from polonium poisoning. Mezrich draws on exclusive sources to reveal how these men navigated Russia's "Wild East" through privatization schemes and political maneuvering. The book exposes the corruption and violence underlying modern Russian wealth while showing how oligarch rivalries shaped international politics.
Genres: history, 20th-century, business, political-science, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, rise-and-fall
Setting: London, Russia
Period: Collapse of the Soviet Union
282 pages · Kindle Edition · Atria Books
Content warnings: violence