The idea that politics can be subverted by wealth is pervasive in Russia. That’s why its billionaires feel at home in the UK
“So let me get this straight. If some guy lives longer than you predict, I have to keep on paying?” The question came from the manager of the pension fund for a state-owned Russian company. He was in London on a fact-finding mission to learn about private pensions. He had just heard an actuary explain how it worked. The Russian manager was suspicious of a system with such open-ended liabilities. I was interpreting and passed on his question.
The actuary confirmed that the longer a pensioner lived, the more he got paid. The Russian client folded his hand into half a fist, with two fingers extended to imitate the barrel of a gun, which he pointed to the ground. “Couldn’t you just, you know, take care of the guy?”
Rafael Behr is a Guardian columnist
