"Early 2008. The Russian business newspaper 'Finans' publishes an overview of the richest Russians. There are 101 billionaires on the list. They become the ironic title of Rob Hornstra's new book. 101 Billionaires reveals the other side of modern Russia, the raw reality that lurks behind the facade of the power elite.
Early 2009. On the day that the first edition of '101 Billionaires' sells out, 'Finans' announces that the number of billionaires has dropped to 49. Not that it makes any difference to the people in this book. In the Russian hinterland, people saw little of this exorbitant wealth anyway." (Publisher's text)