The difference is Abramovich decided to pay millions in bribes to Putins government...while the other... Mikhail Khodorkovsky.. decided to go against Putin. Who then took his oil company off him (Yukos oil),and threw him in jail, by making up charges against him. With his release date approaching,the russian government made up new charges.He will probably spend a long time in jail,while the real criminal is free. maybe he shouldve just paid the bribes in the first place. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100406/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_russia_khodorkovsky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Abramovich