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.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more