Tatyana Kim is Russia's lone representative in the global roster of the wealthiest 50 women.
In a dramatic turn of events, Tatyana Kim, the co-founder and former wife of Vladislav Bakalchuk, has taken full control of Wildberries, the Russian e-commerce giant they established together in 2004. The shift in ownership came after a series of legal battles and scandals that unfolded in 2024.
The conflict between the couple escalated in September 2024, when a violent incident occurred at Wildberries' office. Two office guards lost their lives, and seven people, including law enforcement officers, were injured. Following this incident, Tatiana Kim described it as an attempted hostile takeover, while Vladislav Bakalchuk claimed to be a victim of a provocation.
The legal proceedings began in July 2024 when Tatiana Kim initiated divorce proceedings, leading to the division of their business. Vladislav Bakalchuk filed a lawsuit against Tatiana in October 2024, demanding a 50/50 split of their jointly acquired marital property and the division of shares in LLC "Wildberries" and other companies where the couple held stakes as individuals. However, he lost a lawsuit challenging the transfer of Wildberries' assets to LLC "RVB" - a joint venture between Wildberries and Russ.
Despite these challenges, Tatiana Kim was successful in obtaining her ex-husband's 1% stake in Wildberries during the divorce proceedings, making her the sole owner of the company. She now heads the united company Wildberries & Russ.
Tatiana Kim's personal fortune is estimated at $4.6 billion, making her the wealthiest self-made woman in Russia and the 18th richest businesswoman globally. She is the only Russian on Forbes' annual list of the 50 wealthiest self-made women in the world, which requires a net worth of $2.1 billion to be eligible for inclusion.
Rafaela Aponte-Diamant from Switzerland tops the list with a fortune of $38.8 billion, making her the wealthiest self-made woman in the world. The total wealth of the top 50 richest self-made women is $276 billion, 14 times higher than the total wealth of the top 50 richest businessmen, which stands at $3.8 trillion.
Despite the ongoing drama, the world of entrepreneurship continues to see an increase in women-owned businesses. However, the gap between men and women remains vast, with more women engaging in entrepreneurship than ever before.
The series of events surrounding the division of the couple's business and their divorce have been closely monitored by DK.RU, with all episodes available in their chronicle. As of June 2025, further developments regarding the formal status of their divorce or the division of their business interests remain unconfirmed.
Tatiana Kim, the new sole owner of Wildberries, is now focused on expanding her wealth-management and business ventures, having an estimated personal fortune of $4.6 billion. As an entrepreneur, she stands among the wealthiest self-made women globally, inspiring more women to delve into entrepreneurship, albeit the gender divide still persists.
