PUTIN'S NEMESIS
New Zealand Listener|April 23 - 29, 2022
How one man's courage is tightening the net on Western money laundering by Russian oligarchs.
ANDREW ANTHONY
PUTIN'S NEMESIS

Bill Browder: "I'm alive because Putin has always kept one foot in the civilised world and one foot in the criminal world."

Bill Browder is almost alone in being a named enemy of Vladimir Putin who has not been either killed, had attempts made on his life, or imprisoned. Nonetheless, the Russian authorities have tried a number of times to have the fund manager extradited. Browder, who lives in London, explains that the purpose would be "to take care of me when I'm back in Moscow”, by which he means he would be killed.

As we sit in the glass-walled boardroom of his London offices overlooking Finsbury Square, he acknowledges the anomaly that he is still breathing. “I'm alive because Putin has always kept one foot in the civilised world and one foot in the criminal world," he says.

It's one thing to kill Russians in Russia, such as the opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead near the Kremlin, or even to kill Russians abroad, like Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian intelligence agent who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in London. But to kill an American-born British citizen abroad may have damaged Putin's standing among his Western apologists - Browder mentions the likes of former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Prince Albert of Monaco, who have been cheerleaders for the Russian President.

The invasion of Ukraine has changed that calculus. “I would argue that my level of danger has increased exponentially since February 24 because now the gloves are off," he says.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin April 23 - 29, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye New Zealand Listener dergisinin April 23 - 29, 2022 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 dak  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 dak  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 dak  |
September 9, 2024