Tatjana Kim and Wladislaw Bakaltschuk, the founders of Wildberries, Russia’s largest online retailer, have officially ended their 22-year marriage. Kim had previously announced her intention to divorce in the summer. “I’m happy that this difficult time is behind us” Kim, Russia’s richest woman, emphasized.
The couple’s divorce has been finalized, with the children remaining with their mother and the father responsible for child support. Bakaltschuk posted on Telegram that the couple did not have a prenuptial agreement and a court hearing to settle their assets is scheduled for next week.
According to a source for Forbes, Bakaltschuk will be required by a court order to pay 41,000 rubles (approximately 400 euros) per month in child support for each of the five minor children, totaling seven children in the family.
Prior to the divorce, Wildberries and the advertising company Russ Group announced a merger to create a new digital trading platform under a new name, with the approval of President Vladimir Putin. The merger aims to create a trading empire that can compete with Western technology giants and strengthen the Russian economy. Bakaltschuk, who owned a one percent stake in Wildberries, did not agree with the merger and sought support from Chechen President Ramsan Kadyrov to prevent a “hostile takeover” of Wildberries by Russ Group.
The dispute escalated in September when Bakaltschuk, accompanied by a group of masked men, stormed the Moscow Wildberries headquarters, triggering a confrontation that left two security guards fatally injured. Kim accused her husband of attempting a armed coup. Bakaltschuk and around 30 others were arrested, with some facing charges. Bakaltschuk was later released despite a murder charge.
Following the incident, Kim announced that she would no longer use her husband’s surname and would revert to her maiden name, Kim.