Mikhail Khodorkovsky

You know, I’m an adrenaline junkie myself. My favorite sport used to be rock climbing, because there’s not enough adrenaline otherwise. So I understand people who live on adrenaline very well. Such people are in demand in a profession as dangerous as investigative journalism. It’s clear that if they don’t find a job in this area, they’ll get their adrenaline in other areas. This is a civically beneficial path to fulfillment for people who live on adrenaline. Of course, it’s very important that these people be professionals. …

Before working in the oil industry, I worked as an apprentice at factories for munitions and explosives. This was a profession I liked because it gave me that adrenaline. Well, so what — someone has to carry out that work. [Sighs.] Yes, it was also a risk. Factories blew up from time to time. [Sighs.] Well — what can you do? What can you do? One must make sure one does all one can to prevent such things from happening. But on the other hand, you can never make sure you are completely safe.
-Mikhail Khodorkovsky