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Comment by lapusta | Hacker News Reader

Putin already has enough money from gas'n'oil, he doesn't give a shit. And it's not about money, it's about power.

Talking bout piracy - there is majority of illegal software in business, universities and schools. Not to mention homes. I'm talking about Windows, Office, Photoshop, Games. Even the biggest Russian social network (vKontakte) is currently largest unlicensed mp3/video storage.

I always wondered, what they need OpenSource for.. Maybe it's like Medvedev's obsession with Skolkovo - the new Silicon Valley, which will never ever happen. While there obviously are bright minds here - they tend to leave the country.

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What exactly do you bribe a guy estimated to have 40 billion in liquid assets with? It's funny because I am sure a corrupt Russian politician must have a strange existential crisis when they get that much money. It's like that guy who built the $300 million dollar custom yacht because you literally can't spend that much money on a house if you tried. There's this website EnglishRussia.com where they have regular features on $500,000 Bentley's that have been abandoned in a ditch somewhere. It seems these corrupt politicians have all this money and don't know what to do with it all and are just buying expensive cars and crashing them in some sort of nihilistic denial that there is any other point to life than acquiring loot.

> ...that guy who built the $300 million dollar custom yacht because...

Because it is one of very few ways of moving the money out of the country. Having 300M in Russia does not exactly compare to having 300M in a Swiss bank, and Russia has severe capital export restrictions. They were established by none other than Putin himself, so rest assured they are very well enforced. One can still hoard a huge pile of money, but it will stay in the country unless you manage to find a way to spend it abroad on yourself. Say, by building a yacht.

Um, I'm pretty sure there are better ways to transfer 300M out of country without making everyone notice it.

"...you literally can't spend that much money on a house if you tried." Well this Idiot is building $2 Billion house. http://www.mwilliams.info/archive/2008/06/twobillion-dollar-...

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