The thing that delayed my recognition for so long, is the fact that these guys have so much money already - why would they need to steal more? Any credible ideas?
I can't say it applies in this case. But, while most people seek power to do or get something else, some people just seek power. In that case, what they can or should actually do with it is secondary.
While currency and assets aren't really power, they do serve as a proxy for it.