We employ unique administrative data from Moscow to obtain a direct estimate of hidden incomes. Our approach is based on comparing employer-reported earnings to market values of cars owned by the corresponding individuals and their households. We detect few hidden earnings in most foreign-owned...

The transition in Russia has not been a revolutionary jump to a market economy and democracy but an incremental process that has so far resulted in a hybrid system aptly called "oligarchic capitalism." I study the evolution of the first postcommunist oligarchy by examining the careers of the 296...

Whereas most start-ups are in low-tech industries, we apply a novel strategy to a data set of scientists and engineers to focus predominantly on high-tech entrepreneurs. We develop a simple model in which the rewards from entrepreneurship are determined by the interaction of ability, the quality...