The old Soviet culture also left its former citizens oddly prepared for Wall Street in the early twenty-first century. The Soviet-controlled economy was horrible and complicated but riddled with loopholes. Everything was scarce; everything was also gettable, if you knew how to get it. We had this system for seventy years, said Constantine. People learn to work around the system. The more you cultivate a class of people who know how to work around the system, the more people you will have who know how to do it well. All of the Soviet Union for seventy years were people who are skilled at working around the system.
The legacy of Soviet culture significantly influenced its former citizens, equipping them with unique skills applicable to modern finance. During the Soviet era, the economy was burdened with complexity and scarcity, yet individuals learned to navigate its intricacies through loopholes. Constantine notes that after seventy years in such a system, people became adept at maneuvering around obstacles, developing a collective expertise in resourcefulness.
This adaptability made them well-suited for environments like Wall Street, where precision, speed, and cunning are vital. As they transitioned from a restrictive regime to a more open market, these individuals brought their ability to navigate and exploit systems to new arenas, showcasing how a challenging past can cultivate valuable skills for the future.
