Dr. Marcel Dirsus

And if there's already somebody like that, it might as well be you. But also the opportunities for enrichment are absolutely endless. Some of these people are literally embezzling billions, right? Money doesn't even go into the state budget. You don't even have to steal from the budget. You just divert it to your Swiss bank account straight away.

And if there's already somebody like that, it might as well be you. But also the opportunities for enrichment are absolutely endless. Some of these people are literally embezzling billions, right? Money doesn't even go into the state budget. You don't even have to steal from the budget. You just divert it to your Swiss bank account straight away.

You can do all kinds of things, right? The easiest thing to imagine is something that is state-owned, right? Let's say you're coming out of an economic system where the state basically almost owned everything, and then you sell that off. Maybe there's some sort of kickback because you sell it to them at a much lower price than its real value.

You can do all kinds of things, right? The easiest thing to imagine is something that is state-owned, right? Let's say you're coming out of an economic system where the state basically almost owned everything, and then you sell that off. Maybe there's some sort of kickback because you sell it to them at a much lower price than its real value.

You can do all kinds of things, right? The easiest thing to imagine is something that is state-owned, right? Let's say you're coming out of an economic system where the state basically almost owned everything, and then you sell that off. Maybe there's some sort of kickback because you sell it to them at a much lower price than its real value.

Or perhaps somebody has an issue with the tax authorities and they want to make it go away. So they pay a little fee, but that fee is 200 million. So there are all types of ways. And then obviously you don't take the money yourself, but make sure it's a friend or it's a relative or it's in a bank account that can't be found and all the rest of it. And the best of these people...

Or perhaps somebody has an issue with the tax authorities and they want to make it go away. So they pay a little fee, but that fee is 200 million. So there are all types of ways. And then obviously you don't take the money yourself, but make sure it's a friend or it's a relative or it's in a bank account that can't be found and all the rest of it. And the best of these people...

Or perhaps somebody has an issue with the tax authorities and they want to make it go away. So they pay a little fee, but that fee is 200 million. So there are all types of ways. And then obviously you don't take the money yourself, but make sure it's a friend or it's a relative or it's in a bank account that can't be found and all the rest of it. And the best of these people...

I don't want to sound as if I'm admiring them, right? Let's say the most effective, that they're sort of, quote unquote, out of dictatorship. They don't have to explicitly tell people what to do because they do it out of their own accord because they want to please the leader or they want to avoid something bad happening to them. So things run on autopilot almost at some point.

I don't want to sound as if I'm admiring them, right? Let's say the most effective, that they're sort of, quote unquote, out of dictatorship. They don't have to explicitly tell people what to do because they do it out of their own accord because they want to please the leader or they want to avoid something bad happening to them. So things run on autopilot almost at some point.

I don't want to sound as if I'm admiring them, right? Let's say the most effective, that they're sort of, quote unquote, out of dictatorship. They don't have to explicitly tell people what to do because they do it out of their own accord because they want to please the leader or they want to avoid something bad happening to them. So things run on autopilot almost at some point.

Yeah, well, from the dictator's perspective, being completely cynical and just thinking in terms of cost benefit, the question is, is that worth it? Because obviously you can put down people and you can repress them to an extent. But if you retain some sort of plausible deniability... you will have to beat down fewer people. And beating people is a risky proposition oftentimes.

Yeah, well, from the dictator's perspective, being completely cynical and just thinking in terms of cost benefit, the question is, is that worth it? Because obviously you can put down people and you can repress them to an extent. But if you retain some sort of plausible deniability... you will have to beat down fewer people. And beating people is a risky proposition oftentimes.

Yeah, well, from the dictator's perspective, being completely cynical and just thinking in terms of cost benefit, the question is, is that worth it? Because obviously you can put down people and you can repress them to an extent. But if you retain some sort of plausible deniability... you will have to beat down fewer people. And beating people is a risky proposition oftentimes.

So you want to avoid it if you can. And really, realistically to Putin, it doesn't make a difference. He's got his properties. He's got his money. He will never need more money again in his life. There's no point. It's just not worth taking the risk.

So you want to avoid it if you can. And really, realistically to Putin, it doesn't make a difference. He's got his properties. He's got his money. He will never need more money again in his life. There's no point. It's just not worth taking the risk.

So you want to avoid it if you can. And really, realistically to Putin, it doesn't make a difference. He's got his properties. He's got his money. He will never need more money again in his life. There's no point. It's just not worth taking the risk.

I think, honestly, I mean, first of all, I would say that even in democratic societies, you have this phenomenon, right? Although not with political leaders necessarily. But I mean, I ask myself that about billionaires sometimes. It's like, come on, man, you have 50 billion. What more do you need? So I think part of it is not specific to dictatorships, but it's just about humans being humans.

I think, honestly, I mean, first of all, I would say that even in democratic societies, you have this phenomenon, right? Although not with political leaders necessarily. But I mean, I ask myself that about billionaires sometimes. It's like, come on, man, you have 50 billion. What more do you need? So I think part of it is not specific to dictatorships, but it's just about humans being humans.

I think, honestly, I mean, first of all, I would say that even in democratic societies, you have this phenomenon, right? Although not with political leaders necessarily. But I mean, I ask myself that about billionaires sometimes. It's like, come on, man, you have 50 billion. What more do you need? So I think part of it is not specific to dictatorships, but it's just about humans being humans.