He was only a rather mid ranking Chekist (not even a full colonel by the time he left in 1992).
Even the one of the few dissidents in their ranks, Litvinenko, was officially ranked higher than Putin by the time when he defected to the UK. It's sort of like Colonel Gaddafi didn't feel the need to become ever anything more than just a forever colonel officially.
He later became their king however (literally, with the Chekists as "the new nobility") as the old generals all did submit to him and didn't even have to be purged.
He was only a rather mid ranking Chekist (not even a full colonel by the time he left in 1992).
Even the one of the few dissidents in their ranks, Litvinenko, was officially ranked higher than Putin by the time when he defected to the UK. It's sort of like Colonel Gaddafi didn't feel the need to become ever anything more than just a forever colonel officially.
He later became their king however (literally, with the Chekists as "the new nobility") as the old generals all did submit to him and didn't even have to be purged.