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Comment by quotz | Hacker News Reader

Russia's oligarchs got their wealth by taking over previously state-owned companies using very shady tactics like bribes, extortion, violence, while the US businessmen generally created their own wealth by creating something new

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This entire process of "shock therapy" was orchestrated by American advisors, backed by U.S. capital, and closely presided over by the Clinton administration. No matter your opinion of the USSR, HN readers should be able to see what the US did to the fledgling Russian state in the 90s was an utter tragedy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shock_therapy_(economics)

https://www.thenation.com/article/harvard-boys-do-russia/

Remember this Times cover? http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19960715,00.html

I honestly can't tell whether you're joking or not.

lol and what gives you that idea? im sure some american media?

Let's see :) - Bill Gates organized creation of a lot of useful software, benefiting from it. Jeff Bezos made searching for products among many choices easier and delivery of those products faster. Warren Buffet made markets more liquid and supported promising companies with investment. Etc.

What's wrong? :)

Not sure if you're being tongue in cheek, but Gates basically ripped off Xerox.

Hmm, did he bribe, extort or beat anyone up? I dont think so

There's been reports...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H27rfr59RiE

For people downvoting. My dads business expanded in Russia in the 90s. He had to do all of the above to stay in the market, and stay alive.

I think people downvoting aren't objecting to the idea that russian oligarchs/businessmen engaged in unethical and/or illegal practices to build their businesses--everyone agrees on that. What downvoters probably are objecting to is the idea that oligarchs/businessmen in the United States didn't do those exact same kinds of things to build their own businesses. Because they totally did, and they still do.

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