Rapper Timati has recently spoken out against the merger of Russia’s Wildberries and Russ Group, calling for an end to the deal. The merger was announced last month and aimed to create a joint digital trading platform called RWB. The merger received personal approval from President Vladimir Putin, sparking controversy as reports suggested it was part of Russia’s wartime redistribution of corporate assets to Kremlin-linked figures. Timati’s comments come after Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov accused Russ Group of conducting a “hostile takeover” of Wildberries.
Timati’s intervention in the situation came in response to the announcement of Wildberries founder Tatiana Bakalchuk’s divorce from Vladislav Bakalchuk, who was allegedly present during the negotiations for the RWB merger. Tatiana accused Vladislav of misleading the public about the nature of the deal, characterizing it as a corporate raid. In an Instagram story, Timati urged the third parties involved in the merger to return “a wife to her family” and expressed his support for Vladislav Bakalchuk. The rapper criticized the attempt to use an affair and divorce proceedings to squeeze out a business and transfer assets.
The rapper’s public support for Vladislav Bakalchuk and his friendship with Ramzan Kadyrov have raised questions about his involvement in the situation. Investigative reports have suggested that Kadyrov benefits from the redistribution of corporate assets in Russia following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was also reported that Kadyrov is the hidden owner of Timati’s stake in the rebranded Russian version of the Starbucks coffee shop chain. The RWB merger, which was presented to Putin as potentially the world’s largest ruble-based digital banking network, has drawn skepticism from business media due to the vast difference in size between Wildberries and Russ Group.
Despite the ambitious plans presented for RWB, many have questioned the validity of the merger. Wildberries is significantly larger than Russ Group, leading to concerns about the motives behind the deal. Kadyrov’s accusations against the Mirzoyan brothers and other individuals involved in the merger have further complicated the situation, with promises of opposition to the deal “to the end.” The situation surrounding the merger has raised concerns about large-scale fraud and the potential impact on the business landscape in Russia. The involvement of high-profile individuals and the controversy surrounding the deal continue to attract attention and scrutiny from the media and the public.
