Russia's oligarchs: Their risky routes to riches

Russia's business oligarchs - Greek for the few who rule - have enriched themselves over the past 15 years beyond most people's wildest dreams. They count their fortunes in billions of dollars. But even more spectacular than their rapid rise is the way some rags-to-riches adventures have ended in tears. The careers of two of Russia's most successful oligarchs, Mikhael Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev, are now under the microscope in a Moscow court where they face charges of fraud, forgery and tax evasion. The story about the risks they - and other oligarchs - ran and the deals they made says much about Russia's recent history.

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