Re:Denmark doubles capital buffer to contain wider Danske Ba...
by saiya-jin on Wednesday September 26, 2018 @04:12AM
(#18073820)
I don't claim to know how much he stole (I don't think even he knows it personally, that's what you use accountants for), but that major Zurich bank I mentioned ain't some empty talk - I've met the a bit too talkative wife of one of those bankers, and these kind of deals are still not uncommon in wealth management. And this is just one out of many examples, Panama papers reveal more.
He doesn't need the exit strategy now, but it would be stupid of him not to have one (probably more than one), because nobody knows what future will bring. You only need one charismatic opponent to undermine him.
Overall I think he isn't a bad person for the position he has - he is definitely not outright evil, also definitely not weak and probably quite a patriot. But Russia could have achieved much more than where they are right now, with better leadership. At least in theory.
That said, it's sort of beside the point. Unlike petty dictators, Putin holds real and substantial power--power that money can't buy outright, and power that he'll probably continue holding until his death. He doesn't need an exit strategy and a golden parachute. OTOH, he secured much of that power redirecting assets. It's less unbelievable that Putin has deliberately permitted $200 billion of embezzled funds to be redirected to those who do his bidding.