One of Russia’s wealthiest women, Tatyana Bakalchuk, founder of Wildberries, recently made headlines after a deadly shooting at the company’s headquarters in Moscow. The incident occurred amidst a power struggle between Tatyana and her estranged husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk, who allegedly attempted to seize control of the e-commerce giant. Tatyana accused Vladislav of leading armed individuals into the headquarters, resulting in the deaths of two security guards. Vladislav was arrested and charged with murder, along with dozens of others connected to the shooting.
The tragic events at Wildberries are the culmination of a months-long dispute between the Bakalchuks over the company’s future. Tatyana’s decision to leave Vladislav in April and file for divorce in July coincided with Wildberries’ merger with Russ Outdoor, a billboard and outdoor advertising operator. While Tatyana saw the merger as a way to expand the business, Vladislav publicly opposed the deal and enlisted the help of Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, in an attempt to block it. The tension between the couple escalated following the merger, which saw Wildberries transferring valuable assets to a joint venture with Russ, effectively giving away a 35% stake in the company worth $3.4 billion.
Prior to the merger, Vladislav Bakalchuk voiced his concerns about the deal, claiming that Tatyana had been manipulated into it. He argued that the merger was one-sided, with Wildberries transferring all its assets to the new venture in exchange for minimal investment from Russ. Vladislav, who previously owned a 1% stake in Wildberries, now holds a 0.65% stake in the joint venture. The situation has led to a significant decrease in Tatyana Bakalchuk’s net worth, dropping from $7.4 billion to $4.1 billion.
The merger between Wildberries and Russ Outdoor raised questions about its motivations and implications. Despite the companies’ differing sizes and industries, they presented the merger as a strategic move to create a global competitor to major e-commerce players like Amazon and Alibaba. The deal also aimed to establish an alternative to the SWIFT banking network, which had restricted Russian banks following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The merger received approval from President Vladimir Putin, indicating potential political motivations behind the deal.
The background of Russ Outdoor, originally owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp before changing hands multiple times, adds complexity to the situation. The current shareholders of Russ, including Grigory Sadoyan and the Mirzoyan brothers, remain largely unknown. Tatyana Bakalchuk’s rise from a former English teacher to a self-made billionaire through Wildberries has been a remarkable entrepreneurial journey. Despite the tragic events at the company’s headquarters, her legacy as one of Russia’s wealthiest women is a testament to her business acumen and success in the e-commerce industry.
The deadly shooting at Wildberries and the ongoing legal battles between the Bakalchuks underscore the complexities of family-owned businesses and the high stakes involved in corporate disputes. The incident sheds light on the power struggles within Russia’s business elite and the challenges faced by successful entrepreneurs in navigating personal and professional relationships. As the investigation into the shooting continues and the fallout from the merger unfolds, the story of Tatyana Bakalchuk and Wildberries serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of wealth, power, and ambition in the business world.
