Support The Moscow Times!

Wildberries Founder Becomes Russia’s Richest Woman

Tatyana Bakalchuk surpasses businesswoman Yelena Baturina, who had been at the top of the list since 2004. Anton Novoderezhkin / TASS

For the first time in more than a decade, businesswoman Yelena Baturina is no longer Russia’s wealthiest woman, Forbes Russia reported Thursday.

That honor now goes to Tatyana Bakalchuk, 44, the founder and head of the private online clothing retailer Wildberries. Both Baturina and Bakalchuk cemented their status as Russia’s only women billionaires last year.

Forbes estimated Bakalchuk’s net worth at $1.4 billion on Thursday, surpassing Baturina’s $1.2 billion.

Bakalchuk, a former English teacher, earned an extra $400 million last year, Forbes said. It said her net worth increased after Wildberries showed an 88% revenue increase to 223.5 billion rubles ($3.56 billion) in 2019.

Baturina, 56, the widow of former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, had dominated the Forbes list since 2004, when her net worth totaled $1 billion.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more