The Oligarchs You’re Not Supposed to Talk About
The Oligarchs You’re Not Supposed to Talk About
Why Russian Billionaires Are Called Oligarchs—But Western Banking Dynasties Aren’t
The term “oligarch” is thrown around freely in the media—but only when referring to Russian billionaires. Meanwhile, American and European financial elites, who wield even greater power over global economies, are rarely labeled as such. Why the double standard? Because real oligarchs don’t just own businesses—they own the system itself.
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What Makes Someone an Oligarch?
By definition, an oligarch is a wealthy individual who has significant influence over government policy and national affairs.
🔹 Russian Oligarchs – Businessmen who got rich in the 1990s by buying up state assets during privatization. Many are directly tied to the Kremlin and depend on government approval to maintain their wealth.
🔹 Western Financial Oligarchs – Old-money banking families and financial elites who built their power over centuries through control of central banks, debt, and global financial systems. Unlike Russian oligarchs, they don’t need government approval—governments rely on them.
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Examples of Oligarch Influence: East vs. West
🇷🇺 Russian Oligarchs (Blatant, Visible, and Sanctioned)
✔ Mikhail Khodorkovsky (Yukos Oil) – Once Russia’s richest man, but was imprisoned after challenging Putin. His wealth vanished overnight.
✔ Roman Abramovich (Chelsea FC, Oil, Aluminum) – Lost his UK assets due to Western sanctions after the Ukraine war.
✔ Oleg Deripaska (Aluminum Tycoon) – Hit by U.S. sanctions, lost control of parts of his business empire.
⏩ Russian oligarchs must stay on good terms with Putin or lose everything. They are visible figures, making them easy media targets.
🇺🇸 Western Financial Oligarchs (Subtle, Untouchable, and Institutionalized)
✔ J.P. Morgan (The House of Morgan) – Financed the U.S. government during financial crises, effectively controlling monetary policy before the Federal Reserve.
✔ Rothschild Family – Historically influenced central banks across Europe, profiting from financing wars and shaping financial systems.
✔ Federal Reserve (Private Banking Cartel) – Though marketed as “independent,” the Fed is controlled by private banks that dictate U.S. monetary policy.
✔ 2008 Financial Crisis Bailouts – When banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup collapsed the economy, the U.S. government saved them with taxpayer money—while regular people lost their homes.
⏩ Unlike Russian oligarchs, these financial elites never lose their power—because they control the mechanisms of finance itself. They don’t get sanctioned; they get bailed out.
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The Media’s Game: Who Gets Called an Oligarch?
Western media frames “oligarch” as a dirty word to delegitimize foreign billionaires while ignoring their own financial elites.
✔ A Russian businessman who controls an oil company = Oligarch (Dangerous, corrupt, must be sanctioned).
✔ A U.S. billionaire who controls a central bank and the global economy = “Financial Expert” (Respected, must be saved when in trouble).
This isn’t about who has more power—it’s about who the media wants you to focus on.
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Who Really Controls the System?
The biggest difference between Russian and Western oligarchs is how they hold power:
The Oligarchs You’re Not Supposed to Talk About
Why Russian Billionaires Are Called Oligarchs—But Western Banking Dynasties Aren’t
The term “oligarch” is thrown around freely in the media—but only when referring to Russian billionaires. Meanwhile, American and European financial elites, who wield even greater power over global economies, are rarely labeled as such. Why the double standard? Because real oligarchs don’t just own businesses—they own the system itself.
⸻
What Makes Someone an Oligarch?
By definition, an oligarch is a wealthy individual who has significant influence over government policy and national affairs.
🔹 Russian Oligarchs – Businessmen who got rich in the 1990s by buying up state assets during privatization. Many are directly tied to the Kremlin and depend on government approval to maintain their wealth.
🔹 Western Financial Oligarchs – Old-money banking families and financial elites who built their power over centuries through control of central banks, debt, and global financial systems. Unlike Russian oligarchs, they don’t need government approval—governments rely on them.
⸻
Examples of Oligarch Influence: East vs. West
🇷🇺 Russian Oligarchs (Blatant, Visible, and Sanctioned)
✔ Mikhail Khodorkovsky (Yukos Oil) – Once Russia’s richest man, but was imprisoned after challenging Putin. His wealth vanished overnight.
✔ Roman Abramovich (Chelsea FC, Oil, Aluminum) – Lost his UK assets due to Western sanctions after the Ukraine war.
✔ Oleg Deripaska (Aluminum Tycoon) – Hit by U.S. sanctions, lost control of parts of his business empire.
⏩ Russian oligarchs must stay on good terms with Putin or lose everything. They are visible figures, making them easy media targets.
🇺🇸 Western Financial Oligarchs (Subtle, Untouchable, and Institutionalized)
✔ J.P. Morgan (The House of Morgan) – Financed the U.S. government during financial crises, effectively controlling monetary policy before the Federal Reserve.
✔ Rothschild Family – Historically influenced central banks across Europe, profiting from financing wars and shaping financial systems.
✔ Federal Reserve (Private Banking Cartel) – Though marketed as “independent,” the Fed is controlled by private banks that dictate U.S. monetary policy.
✔ 2008 Financial Crisis Bailouts – When banks like Goldman Sachs and Citigroup collapsed the economy, the U.S. government saved them with taxpayer money—while regular people lost their homes.
⏩ Unlike Russian oligarchs, these financial elites never lose their power—because they control the mechanisms of finance itself. They don’t get sanctioned; they get bailed out.
⸻
The Media’s Game: Who Gets Called an Oligarch?
Western media frames “oligarch” as a dirty word to delegitimize foreign billionaires while ignoring their own financial elites.
✔ A Russian businessman who controls an oil company = Oligarch (Dangerous, corrupt, must be sanctioned).
✔ A U.S. billionaire who controls a central bank and the global economy = “Financial Expert” (Respected, must be saved when in trouble).
This isn’t about who has more power—it’s about who the media wants you to focus on.
⸻
Who Really Controls the System?
The biggest difference between Russian and Western oligarchs is how they hold power:
Western elites play the long game—they don’t fight for control; they create the systems that ensure they stay in power indefinitely.
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Final Thoughts: The Real Oligarchs Never Get Called Oligarchs
Next time you hear the media demonizing Russian oligarchs, ask yourself: Why don’t they apply the same label to Western financial dynasties that control central banks, Wall Street, and global debt?
Because real oligarchs don’t just own wealth—they own governments, economies, and the financial rules that everyone else must follow.
Who’s the bigger threat:
🔹 A Russian billionaire who owns an oil company?
🔹 Or a banking cartel that controls interest rates, inflation, and whether entire economies collapse?
If you follow the money, the answer is obvious.
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Sources & Further Reading
🔹 The Creature from Jekyll Island – G. Edward Griffin (Exposes the Federal Reserve’s origins)
🔹 The House of Morgan – Ron Chernow (History of J.P. Morgan’s financial empire)
🔹 Financial Crisis Bailouts – U.S. Government Accountability Office (Breakdown of how banks got bailed out in 2008)
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What do you think? Are Western elites oligarchs in disguise? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
🔹 Follow for more deep dives into finance, history, and power.
(about the illustration on the top of the post)
This 1912 political cartoon illustrates the Aldrich Plan, which was the forerunner to the Federal Reserve Act of 1913. The octopus imagery represents financial elites wrapping their tentacles around the economy, government, and Wall Street—a visual metaphor for what we just discussed.
A few key things about this image that reinforce the Steemit post:
✔ The “Money Trust” was already feared in 1912, proving that financial oligarchs have been manipulating the system for over a century.
✔ The Aldrich Plan = The Federal Reserve Act – The same banking elites behind the 1913 Fed creation were the same families controlling finance today.
✔ Octopus tentacles = Systemic control – Unlike Russian oligarchs who own companies, Western financial elites own the system itself (debt, currency, stock markets, etc.).
“This isn’t a new problem. Over a century ago, people warned about financial elites controlling entire economies. This 1912 political cartoon showed the ‘Money Trust’ octopus wrapping its tentacles around the U.S. economy—foreshadowing the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. Today, the same financial elites still control interest rates, money supply, and government policy, but they’re never called oligarchs. Why? Because real power is hidden in institutions, not in individual billionaires.”