“I faced the so-called oligarchs in full growth - the first years of our activity were directly connected with a large number of so-called oligarchs,” RIA Novosti quotes Gref.
He noted that there was a period when the oligarchs were much stronger than the government.
At the same time, Gref added that the functions of the state and entrepreneurs should not be confused, everyone should do his own business.
“The problem is when the oligarchs come to power, the problem is when the state begins to engage in business,” Gref said.
Earlier, Gref said that most of the state suffers from a lack of an effective system of government.