Yelena Baturina (Елена Николаевна Батурина) is a Russian businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist known as the richest woman in Russia, and the only female ever to achieve billionaire status in the country. Baturina is the founder of the philanthropic creative think tank BE OPEN and the construction company Inteco. She has a substantial business portfolio that includes companies in industries such as hospitality, renewable energy, and agriculture. As in July 2018, Baturina’s fortune is US$1.2 billion.
Early Life and Education
Originally from Moscow, Baturina completed her high school education and started working at the Fraser factory as a design-technician. In later years she enrolled at the Moscow Institute of Management and graduated with a degree in 1986. While she was studying, Baturina worked in the research department at the Institute of Integrated Economic Development.
Entering Entrepreneurship
In 1989 Yelena Baturina launched her first entrepreneurial venture, a computer hardware production company. She registered the company as Inteco in years to follow and started manufacturing plastics. As the company grew, its service offering expanded to include cement production, prefabricated housing and other construction services and products, and eventually became one of the foremost construction companies in Russia, with an award-winning portfolio. In 2005 Baturina sold the concrete works of the company for US$1.1 billion to PIK Group, a top real estate company owned by Russian billionaire Sergei Gordeev.
The European Hospitality Industry and Beyond
In 2009 Yelena Baturina opened a golf and ski resort in Austria named Grand Tirolia Golf & Ski Resort. In 2011 she sold Inteco and started several successful commercial endeavours including a network of hotels in Russia, the Czech Republic, Austria and Ireland. Her hotel, the New Peterhof Hotel in Saint Petersburg received several architectural awards. After purchasing the Morrison Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, for EUR€22 million, Baturina spent a further €7 million on refurbishing it. The businesswoman also owns a renewable energy project in Italy and Greece and several real estate investments focused on developments in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Philanthropy
Involved with several international philanthropic causes involving culture, arts, design, and sports, Baturina founded BE OPEN, an initiative geared to connect the brightest minds of our future generations with creative achievers of today. The initiative caters to a diverse range of fields including art, philosophy, business, and design, and has become known as a vibrant platform from which expressive ideas can be launched.
Private Life
A keen equestrian, Yelena Baturina has made significant investments into equestrian sport in Russia. She acquired a historical horse breeding estate and reconstructed it with the aim of breeding Trakehner and Hanoverian horses – a successful endeavour. Baturina is married to Yury Luzhkov, who was the mayor of Moscow between 1992 and 2010. The couple enjoys a range of activities including mountain skiing and golf and owns a substantial collection of Russian Imperial porcelain. They have two children, Elena and Olga. The family resides in London, United Kingdom.