How Did Russian Oligarchs Get So Rich?

Russian Oligarchs have become synonymous with superyachts, luxury mansions and the shady political maneuvering of post-Soviet Russia. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian billionaires like Roman Abramovich, Vladimir Potanin, Alisher Usmanov, Boris Berezovsky and Oleg Deripaska have been all over the news.

The word Oligarch conjures up images of opportunistic, well-connected businessmen who made billions by plundering the remains of the collapsed Soviet state. But how exactly did Russiaโ€™s oligarchs get so rich?