“God Ex Machina” is a plot device in ancient plays: the emergence of a force that solves the problems of the heroes. The “machine” was a crane that allowed the “god” actor to “descend from heaven.” Among Russian entrepreneurs there are many passionaries who give people work and hope. At the same time, they are deprived of the ancient “machine” - the laws are inconvenient, the security forces strive to take away business, those around them treat the capitalists with envy, and the bureaucrats swindle money from them. As a result, entrepreneurs who created a business without loans-for-shares auctions and the support of officials find themselves strangers in their own country. The author tells exciting stories about the successes and tragedies of those who decided to start their own business in Russia.