Londongrad: From Russia with Cash;The Inside Story of the Oligarchs

"Londongrad" is a true and amazing book about Russian Oligarchs. It describes with every detail how they built their wealth as well as how they "conquered" London. This is the highly recommended book to anyone interested in oligarch topic.

By 2007 and prior to the impact of the Global Financial Crisis London had had displaced New York to become the financial capital of the world by providing an unrivalled tax avoidance industry, light regulations and easy visas for foreign businessmen.This book tells the story of four Russian businessmen who became oligarchs – privileged insiders – who built huge fortunes by exploiting the flawed post-Soviet disposal of Russia’s state owned natural resources. London provides a refuge from Russian prosecutors for the oligarchs and for many of their super rich compatriots. London provides them with legal sanctuary and a fair due process of law in contrast to the corrupt, politicised judiciary in Russia.It suits the multi-billionaire Russians and their super-rich compatriots that the UK boasts an unrivalled tax avoidance industry and an abundance of highly paid accountants and lawyers able to devise complex ways of hiding an individual’s wealth. The British government has collaborated with the City of London in offering a haven for super-rich businessmen from Russia who need to expatriate their money. New York and Stuttgart have failed to compete in pursuit of Russian capital.But because Britain has asked few questions about the provenance of new Russian wealth, waves of hit men keep arriving on Britain’s shores to settle accounts by violent means.Although their wealth originated in Russia, it has not been a comfortable place in which the oligarchs can spend it. There is too much scrutiny by the tax police and a constant fear of assassination by criminal elements. Bodyguards and bullet proof cars are necessities of daily life for the very rich in Moscow. But in the UK they have been mostly able to enjoy unfettered spending of their fortunes without fear or censure.A favourite Russian saying goes: ”never say never to poverty or prison -both could happen tomorrow” This is why the super-rich Russians seem addicted to spending fortunes on staggeringly expensive properties in the most prestigious British locations. It is now common to find Russian students in the most expensive British schools and top universities. The super-rich Russians are addicted to spending on the acquisition of yachts, jets and cars. Specialised jewellery and top fashion are the playthings of the wives of the super-rich Russians in London.This book traces the trajectory of the four Russian oligarchs as they accumulated their wealth and expatriated it to London. The book points out that while it is hard to dispute that hundreds of people became seriously rich from the disbursement of Russia’s assets, 150 million Russians now live in a country which sold its mineral and industrial wealth for a mess of pottage.

Great book, lots of information.

I enjoyed reading this book. I think if you're already interested in the topic of the book you'll likely not learn too much new information but the detailed nature of the story makes this still worth reading.

Londongrad is a fabulous work of investigative journalism helping the reader to understand a major demographic and economic change now going on in London. Billionaire 'businessmen' who somehow became owners of Russian state companies are coming to London and splashing around enormous amounts of money. I don't blame the authors for withholding some of the gruesome details of how these oligarchs got their money because publishing the truth in the UK can result in 'libel' lawsuits. But anyway we get a clear idea of what is going on from reading this well-researched book. The focus is on the biggest oligarchs: Abramovich, Deripaska, Berezovsky, Cherney, and Khodorkovsky. Anecdotes about how these folks and other New Russians spend money are excellent, for example flying over a house in a helicopter and asking their lawyer to buy it for tens of millions of pounds without even looking inside. Londongrad is essential reading for anyone interested in modern Russia or modern London. Hopefully there will be a sequel because the saga is still continuing now!John Christmas, author of 'Democracy Society' and 'KGB Banker'

So two out of the three richest people in UK are actually from Russia, according to the Sunday Times. Does it mean that all Russians are fabulously rich? Of course not. Then who are they, those Russians, who bought exclusive real estate in the heart of London, football clubs and yachts that cost more than the budget of a small European country?The oligarchic emigration from Russia of 1990-2008 was so significant that journalist and author Mark Hollingsworth wrote a book with the telling title"Londongrad." The book starts like a tough detective story -- the nervous atmosphere of the over-secured office, untraceable phone calls and exploding helicopters. The only difference between pulp fiction and this book is that "Londongrad" depicts real life. All things that you can learn from "Londongrad" are true and neatly documented. Being a good journalist, Mark Hollingsworth supported his story with quotes and sources, so a reader can easily check everything that is stated in the book.The author investigates who are those Russians who now own the most prestigious buildings in the United Kingdom and many other European countries, depicts vividly the tastes of Russian oligarchs, their endless Bentleys, castles, parties and shopping tours to Christie's. He tries to describe their personalities and figures out what drives their anxiety for luxury, opulence and splendour. But this book is absolutely not about the glamorous life of the super-riches. This is about politics, ethics and the source of richness. This is about Russia in its after-empire-collapse stage and the world that is changing dramatically. The author talks about the impact that the Russian expansion has on British and global economy, politics, safety and culture. He doesn't judge, but asks questions and provokes thoughts.Though many facts and names in this book were familiar to me, it provided great cultural insight and let me look at Russians through British eyes. I found many new documents there that proved connections between people and facts, and it was eye-opening reading. I started seeing many things in Russia differently. Actually, I have more questions now than when I started reading, but this is how every good book should work.

prekė atitinka pardavėjo aprašymą.il prodotto è conforme alla descrizione del venditore.the product is as described by the seller.товар полностью совпадает с описанием продавца.

Informative but gets repetitive after some time.

mixed

The collapse of Russia's communist government has led to many good things and many bad such as gang warfare in Moscow and other big cities where a bullet in the head seems to be a final goodbye to those who oppose the current regime also liberated the budding oligarchs who used influential contacts and doubtful means to enrich themselves feeding in the trough of billior of roubles and buying very lucrative State industries . Many fresh multi millionaires headed for big cities in the West, like London - including those presumably , with interesting backgrounds,and who now run football clubs and newspapers as they settle in to a safer live in the United Kingdom where in recent times some sudden deaths have raised eyebrows. This book LondonGrad by Mark Hollingsworth and Stewart Lansley purports to reveal the full inside story and a disturbing story it is . A sad one of greed and deatjh where the stakes are high for the incredibly rich newcomers.(IRB Hibbitt)

Interesting and useful insight on the world of oligarchs invading London and on the London that welcomed their controversial money. In London now more than ever "pecunia non olet", just like in the old Roman Empire. Scary.