Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 754: Knows How to Earn and Spend_1

Chapter 754: Chapter 754: Knows How to Earn and Spend_1

After listening to Gavriil’s narration, Puding let out a chuckle and casually said, "It seems these oligarchs really are wealthy. They can throw out hundreds of millions of US dollars just off a casual joke. Misha’s wealth must now be no less than that of A Bu, even surpassing Khodorkovsky, right?"

Gavriil broke out in a cold sweat on his back and hastily said:

"On the surface, it may seem that Misha is quite wealthy.

But he’s doing more things, like investing in United Airlines, acquiring Land Rover, Jaguar, and Volvo to establish the Russian Auto Group, as well as various philanthropic projects. He even voluntarily suggested increasing the taxes of oligopolistic enterprises like Yukos, using the money collected to promote the birth rate

In addition, he has dropped tens of billions of US dollars in Crimea to develop the area.

All I can say is, the kid is good at making money, but even better at spending it!

His wealth is significantly inflated, he doesn’t have almost enough money to spend. To my understanding, he couldn’t even fork out 20 billion USD for his joint venture with Constantin into the Russian Gas Industry Group and ended up borrowing from Khodorkovsky."

His words effectively spoke up for Wang Ye.

He emphasized the good deeds Wang Ye had done for the country and the people, showing that unlike other oligarchs, Wang Ye prefers to take from and give back to society.

Indeed, he has done many excellent deeds!

Of course, it was because Wang Ye had done these things, that Gavriil had something to brag about.

Otherwise, even if Gavriil wanted to speak up for him, he wouldn’t be able to come up with anything.

Puding listened and nodded, a smile spreading across his face.

Once Gavriil finished speaking, Puding chuckled and said,

"Had you not mentioned it, I might not have noticed that Misha has done so much in just two short years.

It seems that although he has also grown into a new oligarch, he is different from the older generation of oligarchs.

He knows how to make money, but he’s even better at spending it!

But, considering he’s a young man, he might like football, so spending a fortune on his hobbies is understandable.

We were all young once, haha..."

Only then did Gavriil breathe a sigh of relief. He was genuinely worried that Puding might harbor some negative preconceptions about Wang Ye.

If that were the case, he would be placed in an awkward position.

......

After discussing Wang Ye and A Bu’s acquisition of the football club, Puding remembered something else and asked Gavriil, "What has Khodorkovsky been up to recently? After his withdrawal from the Yukos Group, it seems like he’s preparing to participate in the general election next year. How is that progressing?"

Another tricky issue!

Gavriil felt a headache coming on, but as the Grand Housekeeper of the Kremlin, he needed to have a clear understanding of these matters. Otherwise, If challenged and he showed ignorance, that would be a dereliction of duty.

After a moment’s thought, he cautiously answered: "From my understanding, after Khodorkovsky withdrew from the Yukos Group, he went abroad and reunited with his family for a while. He just returned to Moscow a few days ago and took over a public welfare fund established by the Yukos Group. This is the fund that Misha had suggested creating to improve the working conditions and compensation for education personnel in remote areas."

"That sounds pretty good. It’s a good deed. However...has he been up to anything else? Will he participate in next year’s general election?" Puding probed further.

Stiffening up, Gavriil reported: "He will...moreover, he is currently contacting some political figures and establishing a new faction..."

Puding’s eyebrows pinched together, he said in displeasure: "A new Faction? He isn’t going to try to win over people from our faction, is he?"

His keen vision immediately identified the problem.

Clearly, once Khodorkovsky made a move, it would not be small. He was quite ambitious!

In that case, he would need to win over members of various factions with experience and influence to form a new faction. Naturally, he would have a much greater chance of success with an existing foundation.

Had he gathered a bunch of political "newbies", even with loads of money, he wouldn’t stand a chance. It would simply be too difficult to start.

As the conversation had reached this point, Gavriil could no longer avoid the issue. Besides, he didn’t need to hide anything for Khodorkovsky.

After all, their relationship was merely average. Wang Ye was Wang Ye, and Khodorkovsky was Khodorkovsky. They couldn’t be compared.

If it was to help Wang Ye, Gavriil would speak highly of him, but as for Khodorkovsky, he didn’t care.

So, he straightforwardly responded:

"Not only is he trying to win over people from our faction, but he’s also reached out to members of the second, even the third faction, especially the Duma Members.

On the surface, the political arena in Moscow appears calm, but beneath the surface, there is a lot of undercurrent.

One could say that Khodorkovsky’s faction would be the biggest variable in next year’s general election!

Other factions, including the second faction, pose no threat to you.

As long as we deal with Khodorkovsky, there won’t be any surprises next year."

If Khodorkovsky hadn’t thrown his hat in to participate in next year’s general election, there wouldn’t be any surprises for the Kremlin.

Because there simply wouldn’t be any worthy opponents.

But as Khodorkovsky got involved, the situation changed.

It’s not because Khodorkovsky is highly capable or influential.

It’s because his involvement has subtly shifted the power dynamics and relationships between factions, and this change is the last thing the Kremlin wants to see.

If possible, the Kremlin would hope to maintain the status quo, with their faction in an overwhelming lead!

If Khodorkovsky managed to poach a group of key members from the faction and allied with the second faction, next year’s outcome would be uncertain.

The second faction is no easy pushover. As long as they see an opportunity, they will definitely make trouble.

Next year’s general election is becoming incredibly complex...

Puding contemplated for a moment, his face was clouded with uncertainty. Unaware, he tapped his fingers on the tabletop, creating a dull thud.

After a good while, he finally spoke, "You need to keep a close eye on this matter, especially on which political figures Khodorkovsky has contacted. You need to take particular note and try to understand their intentions and next steps.

When necessary..."

He didn’t say what should be done when necessary. Perhaps he himself hadn’t figured out what to do yet.

However, based on Gavriil’s understanding of Puding, he knew Khodorkovsky might be in big trouble!

If Khodorkovsky’s attempt to form a new faction doesn’t go well and he doesn’t manage to recruit many people, it might actually be a good thing for him.

On the other hand, if things went smoothly, however successful he is now, he would be that unlucky later on!