around the world are seizing assets that belong to Russian billionaires, from yachts to jets

世界各地正在查封屬於俄羅斯億萬富翁的資產，從遊艇到噴氣式飛機。

to mansions. This is Dilbar, a 700 million dollar yacht

到豪宅。這是Dilbar，一艘價值7億美元的遊艇。

belonging to Alisher Usmanov, a Russian billionaire allegedly linked to Kremlin. Germany seized

屬於據稱與克里姆林宮有關的俄羅斯億萬富翁阿利舍爾-烏斯馬諾夫。德國扣押了

this superyacht after the US government sanctioned the oligarch in early March in a campaign

在美國政府於3月初對這位寡頭進行制裁後，這艘超級遊艇在一場運動中受到制裁。

targeting Putin's allies.  Spanish authorities seized the "Valerie"

針對普京的盟友。 西班牙當局查獲 "瓦萊麗 "號

yacht reportedly linked to a Russian oligarch and former KGB agent Sergei Chemezov in the

據報道，該遊艇與一名俄羅斯寡頭和前克格勃特工謝爾蓋-切梅佐夫有關。

port of Barcelona, according to Reuters.  The Italians seized Gennady Timchenko's yacht,

據路透社報道，在巴塞羅那港口。 意大利人扣押了根納季-季姆琴科的遊艇。

who is also a Russian billionaire. Italy also seized 116 million dollars worth of property

他也是一名俄羅斯億萬富翁。意大利還扣押了價值1.16億美元的財產

that belonged to a Russian oligarch Alexei Mordashov.

屬於俄羅斯寡頭Alexei Mordashov。

Just when I was writing the script for this video, the US judge approved to seize 2 jets

就在我為這個視頻寫劇本的時候，美國法官准許扣押兩架噴氣機

that belong to a Russian billionaire Boris Abramovich.

屬於俄羅斯億萬富翁鮑里斯-阿布拉莫維奇的。

Overnight, as if Russian billionaires become enemy number one of the west. Not a single

一夜之間，彷彿俄羅斯的億萬富翁成為西方的頭號敵人。沒有一個人

oligarch that's linked to Putin has survived sanctions. It's probably the worst time to

與普京有聯繫的寡頭在制裁中倖存。這可能是最糟糕的時間，因為

be a Russian billionaire. But why? why are Western countries imposing

成為一名俄羅斯的億萬富翁。但是，為什麼呢？西方國家為什麼要把

personal sanctions on literally all Russian billionaires? Why are they seizing their mansions,

對簡直所有的俄羅斯億萬富翁進行個人制裁？他們為什麼要查封他們的豪宅。

jets, and yachts? That all has to do with how these people became

噴氣機和遊艇？這都與這些人如何成為

billionaires in the first place. So here is a step-by-step guide on how to

首先是億萬富翁。是以，這裡有一個分步驟的指南，說明如何

become a Russian billionaire. The path to becoming a billionaire in the

成為俄羅斯億萬富翁。成為億萬富翁的道路在

US is clear. You become an entrepreneur. You start a business, grow it, and your stake

美國很清楚。你成為一個企業家。你創辦一個企業，使其成長，你的股份

in that business will put you on the Forbes billionaires list if the business is worth

在該業務中，如果該業務的價值為10億美元，那麼你將被列入福布斯億萬富翁名單。

billions of dollars. That's how Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and other billionaires made their

數十億美元。這就是傑夫-貝索斯、埃隆-馬斯克和其他億萬富翁如何取得他們的

fortunes in the US. Of course, all of them have done some shady things, but overall they

在美國的財富。當然，他們都做過一些不光彩的事情，但總體而言，他們

have built impressive companies. But in order to become a billionaire in Russia,

已經建立了令人印象深刻的公司。但為了在俄羅斯成為億萬富翁。

you don't go to business because the chances you will become a billionaire are low. That's

你不去做生意是因為你成為億萬富翁的機會很低。這就是

why you go to politics. The government is the most powerful and wealthiest

你為什麼要去從政。政府是最強大和最富有的

entity in the country, so your job is to get your hands as close as possible to the treasury.

在這個國家的實體，所以你的工作是讓你的手儘可能地接近國庫。

Once your hands are on the treasury, you can spend that money however you want. 

一旦你的手掌握了國庫，你就可以隨心所欲地花這些錢。

Russia is not like the US, where government officials have to be accountable to the public.

俄羅斯不像美國那樣，政府官員必須對公眾負責。

It's the public that's accountable to the government, so if someone sues you fo r mismanaging

對政府負責的是公眾，所以如果有人起訴你管理不善的話

government expenditures, you don't have to worry about it because your position in the

政府的開支，你不必擔心，因為你的地位在

government doesn't just give you money but also power. 

政府不只是給你錢，也給你權力。

One phone call to the judge and the judge will rule in your favor. 

只要給法官打一個電話，法官就會做出對你有利的裁決。

So rule number is - you either get into politics to become a billionaire or need strong connections

所以規則是--你要麼進入政界成為億萬富翁，要麼需要強大的關係。

in the government to go to business. Without these connections, you are not going to go

在政府中去做生意。沒有這些關係，你就不會去

far or end up in jail. Russia, as we know it today, is a relatively

遠，或者最終被關進監獄。我們今天所知道的俄羅斯，是一個比較

new country. Until 1991, it was the Soviet Union where capitalism was illegal, so there

新的國家。在1991年之前，這裡是蘇聯，資本主義是非法的，所以有

were no billionaires in the country. I mean, the top officials were the unofficial billionaires,

在這個國家沒有億萬富翁。我的意思是，高級官員是非官方的億萬富翁。

but after the collapse of the union, Russia had to move to capitalism literally overnight;

但在聯盟瓦解後，俄羅斯不得不在一夜之間轉向資本主義。

that's when Russia began to have its first official billionaires.

就在那時，俄羅斯開始有了第一批正式的億萬富翁。

But they didn't become one by starting businesses or developing world-changing technologies.

但他們並不是通過創業或開發改變世界的技術而成為一個人。

Boris Yeltsin, who was the president back then in 1996, was about to lose re-election,

1996年，當時的總統鮑里斯-葉利欽即將失去連任。

so he turned to the bankers who managed government funds since Russia's financial system was

所以他轉向了管理政府資金的銀行家，因為俄羅斯的金融體系是

still immature. So, government funds were deposited in commercial banks and mostly managed

仍不成熟。是以，政府的資金被存放在商業銀行，而且大多是由商業銀行管理。

by them.  The plan was simple, the bankers would lend

由他們負責。 該計劃很簡單，銀行家們將向他們提供貸款。

him 500 million dollars with an annual interest rate of 150 percent and will take the government's

他的5億美元，年利率為150%，並將採取政府的

shares in the biggest companies as collateral. If the government would not be able to pay

最大公司的股份作為抵押。如果政府沒有能力支付

back its loans within a year, the banks would be able to keep these shares. Which is exactly

如果在一年內歸還貸款，銀行將能夠保留這些股份。這正是

what happened. 

發生了什麼事。

A year later, all of the seven bankers who created this scheme became billionaires. Mikhail

一年後，創建這一計劃的七名銀行家都成為億萬富翁。米哈伊爾

Khodorkovsky received a 45 percent majority stake in Yukos, Russia's largest oil and gas

霍多爾科夫斯基獲得了俄羅斯最大的石油和天然氣公司尤科斯45%的多數股權。

company back then. Berezovsky and Abramovich got Sibneft. Vladimir Potanin received the

當年的公司。別列佐夫斯基和阿布拉莫維奇得到了Sibneft。弗拉基米爾-波塔寧得到了

controlling stake in Norilsk Nickel, one of the world's largest nickel and palladium mining

諾里爾斯克鎳業公司的控股權，該公司是世界上最大的鎳和鈀礦之一。

and smelting companies.  Suddenly, companies that were built by the

和冶煉公司。 突然間，那些由建立的公司

soviet union over decades changed hands. These 7 people became the owners of Russia's largest

蘇聯數十年來易手。這7個人成為了俄羅斯最大的企業的所有者。

companies just because they were close allies of the former president.

公司只是因為他們是前總統的親密盟友。

So how do you become a billionaire in Russia - you become friends with top government officials,

那麼，你如何在俄羅斯成為一個億萬富翁--你與政府高層官員成為朋友。

preferable the president. Let's take a look at the current list of Russian

最好是總統。讓我們來看看目前的俄羅斯名單

billionaires. Meet Arkady Rotenberg, who has a net worth

億萬富翁。認識一下阿卡迪-羅滕伯格，他的淨資產為

of 2.2 billion dollars. But until 1999, he was nobody. He wasn't a businessman neither

的22億美元。但直到1999年，他還是個無名小卒。他既不是一個商人

nor had any high government position, but he was Putin's long-time friend since the

他也沒有擔任過任何高級政府職務，但他是普京的長期朋友，因為他是普京的朋友。

days when they used to practice judo together. After Putin's rise to power, this judo instructor

他們曾經一起練習柔道的日子。普京上臺後，這位柔道教練

suddenly became a successful business and joined the Forbes billionaires list. 

突然成為一個成功的企業，並加入福布斯億萬富翁名單。

Coincidence? Maybe.

巧合？也許吧。

Well, how about Gennady Tymchenko, who has a net worth of almost 20 billion dollars as

那麼，根納季-季姆琴科呢，他的淨資產有近200億美元，作為

of 2022. How do you think he built his fortune. Exactly! He became Putin'sPutin's friend way

的2022年。你認為他是如何建立他的財富的。正是如此！。他成為普京的普京的朋友的方式

before he became the president, so after Putin's inauguration, Timchenkoy's net worth skyrocketed.

在他成為總統之前，所以在普京就職後，蒂姆琴科伊的淨資產直線上升。

Or meet this guy, Igor Sechin. He is not officially a billionaire, but the guy owns a 490 million

或者見見這個傢伙，伊戈爾-謝欽。他並不是正式的億萬富翁，但這傢伙擁有4.9億的

dollar superyacht. You don't own a half a billion-dollar yacht without having a few

美元的超級遊艇。如果沒有幾個人，你就不可能擁有5億美元的遊艇。

billion dollars. He is the CEO of the largest oil and gas company in Russia, and guess who

億美金。他是俄羅斯最大的石油和天然氣公司的首席執行官，你猜是誰？

appointed him to that position?  Exactly! 

任命他為該職位？ 正是如此!

Putin! Because he was his security guard before he

普京！因為在他之前，他是他的安全衛士

became the president. Or Kirill Shamalov, the ex-husband of Katerina

成為總統。或者基里爾-沙馬洛夫，卡捷琳娜的前夫

Tikhonova, Putin's daughter, so technically, he is the ex-son-in-law of the Russian President

蒂霍諾娃，普京的女兒，所以嚴格來說，他是俄羅斯總統的前女婿。

Vladimir Putin. When you become the son-in-law of the most powerful man in Russia, you become

弗拉基米爾-普京。當你成為俄羅斯最有權勢的人的女婿時，你就成了

Russia's youngest billionaire. Connections are the most important thing in

俄羅斯最年輕的億萬富翁。關係是最重要的事情，在

making money in Russia. That's why there is a Russians proverb - Do Not Have 100 Rubles,

在俄羅斯掙錢。這就是為什麼俄羅斯人有一句諺語--不要有100盧布。

Have 100 Friends. The only problem with this way of becoming

擁有100個朋友。這種成為方式的唯一問題是

a billionaire is that your wealth doesn't belong to you. I mean, it's official yours,

一個億萬富翁是你的財富並不屬於你。我的意思是，它是正式屬於你的。

but it mostly belongs to the people who gave you the favors that enabled you to become

但它主要屬於那些給予你恩惠，使你能夠成為的人。

a billionaire. For example, Oleg Deripaska became a billionaire

一個億萬富翁。例如，Oleg Deripaska成為億萬富翁

as a result of massive illegal privatization after the collapse of the soviet union and

蘇聯解體後大規模非法私有化的結果和

became a close ally of the government. He finances the lavish lifestyle of many of russia's

成為政府的親密盟友。他資助了許多俄羅斯人的奢侈生活。

top officials, such as the ministry of foreign affairs, Sergey Lavrov. 

高層官員，如外交部的謝爾蓋-拉夫羅夫。

Lavrov and his family always fly private, even on personal matters, using Deripaska's

拉夫羅夫和他的家人總是乘坐私人飛機，即使是個人事務，也是使用德里帕斯卡的飛機。

jets. Or former Deputy prime minister Sergey Prikhotka was spotted in Deripaska's yacht

噴氣式飛機。或者前副總理謝爾蓋-普里霍特卡被發現在德里帕斯卡的遊艇上。

with a bunch of escorts. The strategy is simple, we make it possible

與一群護衛者。策略很簡單，我們使之成為可能

for you to earn billions, but in return, you will share that wealth with us. But if you

為你們賺取數十億美元，但作為回報，你們將與我們分享這些財富。但是，如果你

ever try to turn against us, we are going to get rid of you.

如果你試圖反對我們，我們就會把你趕走。

Khodorkovsky, who challenged the government after building his net worth on behalf of

霍多爾科夫斯基在代表公司建立了自己的淨資產後，向政府提出了挑戰。

the government, was arrested for 10 years. Berezovsky was forced to leave the country,

在政府的支持下，他被逮捕了10年。別列佐夫斯基被迫離開該國。

and his life ended tragically, while Abromovich, who decided to bend the knee to the new Tsar,

而他的生命則悲慘地結束了，而阿勃羅莫維奇，決定向新沙皇屈膝。

wasn't just left alone but also generously rewarded.

不僅僅是獨自一人，而且還得到了慷慨的回報。

Another problem with this strategy is that they can always come for you the moment they

這種策略的另一個問題是，他們可以隨時來找你。

dislike you. They can turn you into a poor prisoner in a blink of an eye, like the Magamedov

不喜歡你。他們可以在一眨眼間把你變成一個可憐的囚犯，就像馬加梅多夫人一樣

brothers, the brothers who earned a few billion dollars through government connections and

弟兄們，通過政府關係賺取幾十億美元的弟兄們和

subsidies. But, the moment they went against some government officials, they found themselves

補貼。但是，當他們與一些政府官員作對時，他們發現自己

jailed and their assets seized. So, if you ever become a Russian billionaire, spend as

入獄並扣押他們的資產。是以，如果你有一天成為俄羅斯的億萬富翁，請花錢作為

much money as you can because you can lose in a glimpse of an eye, and there won't be

儘可能多的錢，因為你可以在一瞥之間就失去，而且不會有

any judge to save you. Spend your billions as if there is no tomorrow.

任何法官來拯救你。花費你的億萬財富，就像沒有明天一樣。

Because if they don't seize them, the Americans will seize them. When Russia invaded Ukraine,

因為如果他們不奪取它們，美國人就會奪取它們。當俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭的時候。

the US and the EU started imposing sanctions on the people who are deeply connected to

美國和歐盟開始對那些與中國有密切聯繫的人實施制裁。

the government and, more specifically, to Putin. You see, these oligarchs made billions

政府，更具體地說，是普京。你看，這些寡頭賺了幾十億

in Russia but then took these billions outside Russia to protect their wealth since, in Europe

在俄羅斯，他們把這幾十億帶到了俄羅斯境外，以保護他們的財富，因為在歐洲

and the US, they can at least turn to the courts to save their fortunes. But now, in

和美國，他們至少可以求助於法院來挽救他們的財富。但現在，在

an effort to put pressure on Putin, they are seizing their superyachts, mansions, and jets

為了向普京施壓，他們正在扣押他們的超級遊艇、豪宅和飛機。

and are freezing their assets in western banks. So do you still wanna become a Russian billionaire?

並且正在凍結他們在西方銀行的資產。那麼你還想成為俄羅斯的億萬富翁嗎？

Let me know in the comments below. Thanks for watching, and see you in the next one.

請在下面的評論中告訴我。謝謝你的觀看，下一集見。