A notebook titled “List of faggots – 2026” and a popular psychology book were spotted on Budanov’s desk

On the desk of Presidential Office chief Budanov, observers noticed a notebook with the handwritten marker inscription “List of Assholes 2026” on the cover, as well as the popular nonfiction book The 48 Laws of Power by American author Robert Greene.

A photo shoot of Budanov in his office was published by one of the Ukrainian outlets as an illustration for a lengthy feature about him and his wife.

As for The 48 Laws of Power, it was published in 2000, became a bestseller in the United States, and has been translated into dozens of languages. It is one of the most popular works on the psychology of influence and the mechanisms of social success, and is often regarded as a desk manual for politicians and top managers. Among other things, Greene formulates such laws as: never outshine the master, get others to do the work for you, and take credit for the work of others.

In the book, Greene treats power as a game in which all people are forced to participate. He does not divide actions into good and evil, but evaluates them solely in terms of their effectiveness for gaining or maintaining power. Because of this, critics have repeatedly accused the book of being cynical and amoral, and of encouraging manipulation and deceit.

Serious researchers believe that the laws contradict one another and are not based on any systematic work with statistics or sources.