A Moscow court awarded Tatiana Kim, Russias wealthiest woman, her ex-husband Vladislav Bakalchuks remaining stake in the countrys largest online retailer Wildberries, the companys press service told state media Thursday.Kim and Bakalchukfinalized their divorce in February following a surprise merger with outdoor advertising firm Russ Group last summer.
The merger sparked a bitter corporate and personal dispute involving Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov and culminated in a deadly shootout at the companys headquarters in September.Moscows Savyolovsky District Court ordered Bakalchuk to hand over his 1% stake in Wildberries LLC to Kim, according to the company Wildberries Russ.Tatiana Kim became the 100% owner of the company, Wildberries Russ was quoted as saying.The court also upheld Kims ownership of Wildberries Bank and the funds in her personal accounts, the state-run news agency TASS reported.President Vladimir Putin approved the June 2024 merger between Wildberries and Russ Group, but the Kremlin declined to intervene in the high-profile family feud between the co-founders of Wildberries.Wildberries and Russ Group claimed their merger would create a financial, media and retail conglomerate capable of rivaling Western tech giants and supporting the Russian economy.However, some Russian business outlets have described the merger as strange, framing it as part of a broader power struggle between Kadyrov and powerful billionaire senator Suleiman Kerimov.Last fall, Kadyrov declared a blood feud against three lawmakers from neighboring North Caucasus republics, accusing them of engineering the merger and plotting to assassinate him.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.Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later.Remind me next monthThank you! Your reminder is set.We will send you one reminder email a month from now.
For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy.