Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in 1987, Timur Turlov showed an early aptitude for finance and economics. Holding a degree in economics, he began his career at the age of 16 as a trader at World Capital Investments (WCI). This experience ignited his passion for financial markets and international investments.
Turlov’s career accelerated when he joined Uniastrum Bank, where he played a pivotal role in creating infrastructure that facilitated access to U.S. stock markets for the bank’s subsidiary. This foundation equipped him with the expertise to start his entrepreneurial journey.
Founding Freedom Finance and International Growth
In 2008, amidst a turbulent global financial landscape, Turlov founded Freedom Finance, a brokerage firm dedicated to providing clients with access to U.S. stock exchanges. Seeing immense opportunity in emerging markets, he expanded operations into Kazakhstan in 2012. Here, Turlov built a robust financial ecosystem that integrated banking services, online trading, and access to European stock markets.
By 2019, Turlov consolidated his ventures under Freedom Holding Corp., a unified financial powerhouse. In October 2019, the company became the first CIS-based financial institution to list on NASDAQ under the ticker FRHC. The company’s shares, initially priced under $15, surpassed $80 by mid-2024, underscoring its rapid growth and investor confidence.
Freedom Holding Corp.: A Global Financial Ecosystem
Today, Freedom Holding Corp. is a global player with a presence in 22 countries and serves over 5 million clients worldwide. The company’s operations span multiple sectors, delivering cutting-edge financial and technological solutions:
Freedom Bank
Freedom Bank, acquired and rebranded in 2024, is a leader in digital financial services. The bank offers:
- Digital mortgages for seamless real estate transactions.
- Online business loans to fuel entrepreneurship.
- The Freedom SuperApp, a multifunctional platform that consolidates financial management, loan applications, insurance purchases, and travel booking.
Tradernet
Freedom’s proprietary platform, Tradernet, revolutionizes brokerage services across jurisdictions. Supporting 16 languages, Tradernet uses AI tools to analyze market issuers, benchmark competitors, and evaluate global financial news.
Freedom Pay
Operating in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, Freedom Pay enhances cross-border payments, enabling businesses to scale operations and improve customer experiences.
Freedom Life & Freedom Insurance
Under Turlov’s leadership, Freedom Holding has prioritized innovation in the insurance sector. Key offerings include:
- Freedom Life: A leader in endowment insurance.
- Freedom Finance Insurance: Kazakhstan’s first online car insurance payment platform, developed through DTP.kz.
Freedom Telecom
As a pioneer in telecommunications, Freedom Telecom delivers broadband internet, 5G networks, and next-generation WiFi 6E/7. Plans include laying 300,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables by 2025 and launching the Freedom Media Platform to focus on digital content creation and streaming.
Lifestyle and Retail
Freedom Holding has diversified into retail and lifestyle through services like:
- Arbuz.kz: A fast-growing online supermarket.
- Aviata: A popular platform for travel bookings.
- Freedom Mobile: Electronics retail.
- Freedom Drive: Driver-centric products and services.
- Ticketon: A comprehensive event ticketing platform.
Wealth and Recognition
Timur Turlov’s leadership has been transformative, driving Freedom Holding’s market capitalization to approximately $5 billion. His ownership stake of 71% by fiscal year-end 2024 has positioned him among the world’s wealthiest individuals.
