Welcome in the age of oligarchy

Welcome to the age of oligarchy, where money buys you influence, where the rich and powerful like to mingle and party and where self-enrichment, corruption and tax evasion are commonplace.

When you think of oligarchs, you probably imagine ultra-wealthy Russians with Vladimir Putin’s number in their phone. But oligarchy has spread to the Western world as well. Tech tycoons are closely intertwined with power, the United States is even led by an oligarch. In this new series we explore the shadowy network of billionaires, politicians, celebrities, and intellectuals – we introduce you: the new oligarchs.

In this first episode, we speak with journalist Paul Caruana Galizia (Financial Times, podcast Londongrad). He wrote a book about the aftermath of the murder of his mother, Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who investigated corruption on her home island. Paul Caruana Galizia closely examined the rise of Evgeny Lebedev, the son of a spy who secured a seat in the House of Lords with the help of former prime minister Boris Johnson. Recently, he has been researching Donald Trump’s donors and how they have benefited from his second term.