An oligarch is an exceedingly wealthy commercial enterprise chief who has enormous financial and political impact. The information media these days makes use of the time period plenty while speakme approximately the multi-billionaire Russian businesspeople who’re near President Vladimir Putin. They emerged after the crumble of the Soviet Union.
We also can use the time period while speakme approximately a completely effective man or woman of their industry.
The Cambridge Dictionary has the following definition of oligarch:
“One of a small institution of effective individuals who manipulate a rustic or an industry.”
An oligarch exists in an oligarchy
Oligarchs are the chosen few those who impact a rustic’s chief(s) in an oligarchy.
An oligarchy is a society wherein some human beings have all of the electricity. The leaders belong to a small privileged institution. The participants of this elite institution, the oligarchs, usually use their electricity for the gain of the institution or private gain.
Historically, the youngsters of oligarchs have been raised and groomed to end up the inheritors of the oligarchy’s electricity. Oligarchies paintings a whole lot extra in mystery as compared to aristocracies. Oligarchs favor to function at the back of the scenes, or extra specifically, at the back of the throne.
Wikipedia has the following comment regarding the oligarchs of the Russian Federation (modern Russia):
“Since the crumble of the Soviet Union and privatization of the economic system in December 1991, privately owned Russia-primarily based totally multinational corporations, which includes manufacturers of petroleum, herbal gas, and metallic have, withinside the view of many analysts, brought about the upward push of Russian oligarchs.”
“Most of those are related without delay to the highest-ranked authorities officials, together with the President.”
Etymology of Oligarchy
Etymology is the examine of the records and beginning of phrases, and the way their spelling, meanings, and usages advanced over time.
The time period oligarchy first appeared in the English language withinside the 1570s, with the meaning “shape of presidency wherein splendid electricity is vested in a small one of a kind class.”
It got here from the 14th century French phrase Oligarchie, which got here from a Latinized shape of the Greek phrase Oligarkhia, which meant “authorities via way of means of the few.” The Greek phrases Oligoi and Arkhein mean “few” and “to rule”, respectively.