Whiz Kid Spooks Putin

Alexander Browder is an extraordinary young man. A 17-year-old Brit, he has just been sanctioned by the Russian government. His “crime”? Alexander has uncovered the Kremlin’s cryptocurrency racket—its money-laundering operation.For details, go here.He has also uncovered eye-popping things about North Korea and Iran, and their exploitation of cryptocurrency.Alexander is the son of Bill Browder—Sir William Browder—the financier who has devoted his life to opposing Putin and his dictatorship. In 2018, I wrote a piece: “A Family in History: The strange odyssey of the Browders.”At the end of our conversation, I tell Alexander that I’m worried about him. Bill has long been in the crosshairs of the Kremlin, and now this teenage Browder has rattled the Kremlin’s cage too?Says Alexander, “I think that if you live in fear, it really constricts you and what you are able to do.” Think of the people in Ukraine, he says, who are assaulted by Putin’s military daily. “So, if I can have any effect, why shouldn’t I be doing something?”An amazing young man, and a chip off the old block.Q&A is the podcast of this site, Onward and Upward. The site is supported by readers and listeners. To receive new articles and episodes—and to support the work of the writer and podcaster—become a free or paid subscriber. Many thanks to you. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe