After the dissolution of the russian Union, any Russians gathered immense fortunes, taking over businesses that had previously been owned by the state. In turn, Putin’s stick and carrot policy made his richest silent supporters. The erstwhile billionaire and banker Oleg Tinkov found out how it works. The day after he criticized the war, calling it "crazy" in a Instagram post, the Kremlin contacted the management of his company. It has been reported that Bank Tinkoff, its owner, will be nationalised unless links with its founder are broken. Tinkov said in an interview with the “New York Times” that he could not negociate the price. Within a week, the acquisition of the bank was announced by a company associated with Vladimir Potanin, Russia's 5th richest businessman, who supplies nickel to fighter engines. According to Tinkov, his company was sold for 3% of the actual value, and he himself lost nearly $9 billion of his erstwhile property and left Russia.
