v ▁started ▁allowing ▁priv at ization ▁of ▁the ▁cent r ally ▁planned ▁economy . ▁Lar ge ▁priv at ization ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁economy ▁occurred ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years ▁as ▁the ▁country ▁dissol ved . ▁Other ▁Eastern ▁B loc ▁countries ▁followed ▁suit ▁after ▁the ▁Revolution s ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁introduced ▁non - comm un ist ▁govern ments . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁Kingdom ' s ▁largest ▁public ▁share ▁offer ings ▁were ▁priv at izations ▁of ▁British ▁Tele com ▁and ▁British ▁Gas ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁under ▁the ▁Conserv ative ▁government ▁of ▁Margaret ▁Th atch er , ▁when ▁many ▁state - run ▁fir ms ▁were ▁sold ▁off ▁to ▁the ▁private ▁sector . ▁The ▁priv at ization ▁received ▁very ▁mixed ▁views ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁and ▁the ▁parliament . ▁Even ▁former ▁Conserv ative ▁prime ▁minister ▁Harold ▁Mac mill an ▁was ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁policy , ▁li ken ing ▁it ▁to ▁" s elling ▁the ▁family ▁silver ". ▁There ▁were ▁around ▁ 3 ▁million ▁share hold ers ▁in ▁Britain ▁when ▁Th atch er ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁but ▁the ▁subsequent ▁sale ▁of ▁state - run ▁fir ms ▁saw ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁share hold ers ▁double ▁by ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁By ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁res ignation ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁there ▁were ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 ▁million ▁share hold ers ▁in ▁Britain . ▁ ▁The ▁largest ▁public ▁shares ▁offering ▁in ▁France ▁involved ▁France ▁T élé com . ▁ ▁Egypt