The Oligarchs' Grip: Fusing Wealth and Power, a new book by University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business David Lingelbach and co-author Valentina Rodríguez Guerra, a researcher and graduate student in business administration at the Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, is a finalist in the "Big Ideas" category of the 2023 Goody Business Book Awards.

In a description of the book on the Goody website, the authors write: "This is the first ever guide to oligarchs as a global and historical phenomenon. Today, more than 20 oligarchs serve as heads of state or government in countries such as Russia, South Africa, Lebanon, and El Salvador. Many have a net worth in excess of $1 billion, and they all—whether directly or indirectly—impact our daily lives. Who are they and how have they dominated our world? What lessons can we learn from them, and what might the future hold?"

The Oligarchs' Grip takes the authors' more than 25 years of research (including conversations with Vladimir Putin and other oligarchs), 16 case studies, and dozens of historical examples to develop the first-ever model revealing the strategies oligarchs employ to fuse wealth and power, and transition between the two. This model gives insight into how oligarchs use multiple control mechanisms to exploit an increasingly uncertain world.

Learn more about the Goody Business Award Finalist status of The Oligarchs' Grip.

Learn more about Prof. Lingelbach.