oligarch

This term carries a heavy connotation of exclusivity and often implies that power was acquired through opportunistic means or systemic corruption rather than merit. It suggests a symbiotic relationship between extreme wealth and political influence, where money is used to buy policy and policy is used to accumulate more money. In modern geopolitical discourse, the word is frequently associated with the post-Soviet transition in Russia, though it can describe any individual within a small, wealthy elite that dominates a state's governance.