Today: Putin’s $40 billion fortune; Medvedev’s political character; Zubkov lays plans for successor; Russian government gives way on Royal Academy paintings. It is being reported that “an unprecedented battle is taking place inside the Kremlin in advance of Vladimir Putin’s departure from office” in relation to claims that Putin has a secret personal fortune of over $40 billion and a “non-transparent network of offshore trusts”. In October, Putin “revealed” his yearly income to be roughly $80,000 a year. This article offers an analysis of Putin’s career history.