This is an understatement. Imagine if Obama had worked for the CIA his whole life, had come to power in a nondemocratic fashion mysteriously after Bill Clinton was forced to step down, had nationalized Chevron and put the CIA in charge, imprisoned the Koch brothers, invaded Mexico twice, held a series of sham elections, stayed in power for decades, and was rumored to be one of the richest people on the planet.

"The Man Without a Face" by Masha Gessen is a great read on Putin's rise to power.

http://smile.amazon.com/The-Man-Without-Face-Unlikely/dp/159...