From English teacher to e-commerce billionaire: How Tatyana Kim became Russia's richest woman
Tatyana Kim, the richest woman in Russia, started online retailer Wildberries from her apartment while on maternity leave from her teaching job, eventually building it into the country’s answer to Amazon.
Tatyana Kim, a former English teacher of Russian-Korean descent, founded Wildberries, Russia's largest e-commerce platform, in 2004. Starting with a modest online storefront from her Moscow apartment, the business initially catered to women seeking affordable, time-saving shopping options. Wildberries quickly expanded, boasting nearly 95,000 pickup points nationwide and generating over US$9 billion in revenues in 2024, with Forbes estimating potential 2025 sales at US$15 billion.
The company's success attracted attention from Russian businessmen, leading to a dispute between Kim and her then-husband, IT entrepreneur Vladislav Bakalchuk, over the company's future direction. This ultimately culminated in a 2024 shootout at a Wildberries office and their highly publicized divorce the following year.
Despite facing setbacks such as the loss of a third of its warehouse capacity and substantial losses due to Ukrainian attacks, Wildberries remains a strategically important company for the Russian economy. Analysts believe it is unlikely to go bankrupt, cementing Kim's position as Russia's richest woman.
Written by urgent.news from VnExpress Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
