>I acknowledged that the amount is a rumor. The fact that he is extremely wealthy is not in dispute. The fact that Putin denies his wealth does not provide anything useful. Actively displaying your BDS does not provide anything useful. The original question was to name a country where the wealthy do not make the rules. Russia is not one, if you care to try again please feel free.

Wealthy do not 'make the rules' in ANY country. Establishing countries, country constitutions or positive laws and rules is way above average billioners heads. You got to be someone really big to make any dent on country laws & rules. Unless we are talking about rogue regimes <g>

What (some of) wealthy people do is; they bent those rules.
Bribing at various levels of country governments in a usual quest of possesing more and more gold coins. Just like all other ordinary bandits. It is called corruption and it is admitedly present in most if not all countries.

Street bandit robs the bank, big bandit might own that very bank so what ?
You basically say *that's the way it is* - they *rule*. I simply disagree with this. No they don't! You do!
You should never forget that. If someone breaks the law, bribes, steals shareholders or state money or does any other kind of monkey business he is just another bandit, no matter how much money he/she owns or what is his/her current status, power or $influence.

You just don't have to $ellect one of those <g>