A former English teacher, Kim was 28-years-old and on maternity leave when she launched the initiative, and was later joined by her now ex-husband, Vladislav Bakalchuk.
As Wildberries grew, Kim’s fortune did too. Forbes estimates her net worth at $8.1 billion, making her Russia’s richest woman.
She was the only Russian entry on Forbes’ 2025 list of “The 50 Richest Self-Made Women On Earth.”
“Wildberries has grown from small origins to be one of two major internet marketplaces in Russia [alongside Ozon],” Charles Hecker, an associate fellow in international security at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, tells TIME. “It’s an enormously prominent company and Kim is an incredibly prominent business person in Russia.”
Why is Ukraine targeting Russia’s ‘Amazon’?
Kyiv insists Wildberries is being used as a key supply chain for the Russian military.
“Ukraine’s official reason behind attacking Wildberries is that Ukraine believes the website is used as a channel for military components,” says Hecker.
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