Timur Turlov is the founder, CEO, and main shareholder of Freedom Holding Corp. This company trades on Nasdaq and runs a huge “SuperApp” that combines brokerage, banking, insurance, telecom, and lifestyle services in one digital space. He was born on November 13, 1987, in Moscow. In 2009, he finished his degree in economics and management at Moscow State Aviation Technological University. Today, he holds Kazakhstani citizenship. He is living in Almaty with his spouse and six kids.
From a Teen Trader to a Bold Entrepreneur
Timur’s journey into finance started very young. At just 16, he was already working as a trader at World Capital Investments in Moscow. In 2005, he moved to Yutreyd.ru, a Uniastrum Bank unit, where he helped build systems that connected to U.S. markets. That was rare for someone so young. When the 2008 financial crisis hit and the trading unit closed, Timur didn’t stop. With his some sbordinates, they launched Freedom Finance in Almaty.
Freedom Finance and Making Investments Accessible
It opened doors for regular people to access U.S. stock markets. By 2012, the company expanded into Kazakhstan and set up Freedom Finance JSC. It became one of the country’s top brokerages. Over the next ten years, the group added more services—insurance through Freedom Life and Freedom Insurance, banking with Freedom Bank, telecom with Freedom Telecom, digital payments with Freedom Pay, plus online services like Aviata, Arbuz, and Ticketon.
Nasdaq Listing and Rapid Growth
In October 2019, Timur took Freedom to the global stage. He listed Freedom Holding Corp. (FRHC) on Nasdaq. They became the first financial service company from the CIS to appear there. Under his leadership, the stock soared. From under $15 at IPO, it jumped to over $90 by 2024. In fiscal year 2025, the company reported $2.05 billion in revenue, which was a 23% jump compared to the previous year. Insurance and banking were key areas driving that growth.
His personal wealth grew as well. Forbes placed him among the world’s billionaires. His net worth ranged from $3.3 billion in 2024 to $7.6 billion by May 2025. That rise came from years of long-term planning and careful strategy.
The Freedom SuperApp
One of themost biggest achievements is building the Freedom SuperApp. It combines financial and everyday services in one place. He once said, “If you don’t give the customer everything in one place, they’ll go somewhere more convenient.”
The ecosystem covers:
- Banking and mortgages
- Insurance services
- Digital payments through Freedom Pay
- Telecom services
- Lifestyle options like Arbuz.kz for food, Aviata and Chocotravel for travel, and Ticketon for events
By mid‑2025, it served over five million Kazakh clients. The idea is simple. A customer might join for banking, but they end up using more services naturally.
Big investors noticed. First Trust’s AlphaDEX fund made FRHC its second-largest holding. It shows strong confidence in the company’s future.
Recognition Around the World
Timur’s work is getting global attention. It’s not just about finance—it’s also studied in top schools. In July 2025, Stanford Graduate School of Business release a case on Freedom Holding. It’s called “Freedom Holding: Building an Ecosystem as a Path to Scale.” It’s the first time a Central Asian company became a standalone case study at Stanford.
Beyond Finance: Culture, Media, and Tech
Timur doesn’t just focus on finance. He also invests in culture and technology.
- In media, he teamed up with Tatler Asia to launch local editions in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey.
- He’s building a national streaming platform with Freedom Media and Uni-Q to share Kazakh stories globally.
- In automotive tech, he bought a 41% stake in CTOgram, a Kazakh auto-tech startup, to bring mobility solutions into the Freedom ecosystem.
Sports, Education, and Giving Back
Timur supports young talent, sports, and culture in many ways.
- He became President of the Kazakhstan Chess Federation in 2023. He promotes major tournaments in schools, includes the World Rapid & Blitz events on Wall Street.
- With the help of digital analytics he starts their QJ league, He’s also building a football academy in Karaganda with an investment of $22.7 million.
- He also launched Qalam, a multimedia project which highlights Central Asian history.
- He’s involved in environmental work, like restoring the Aral Sea and planting saxaul trees.
- In 2023 alone, Freedom spent about ₸30 billion, or $66 million, on charitable causes.
Timur prefers to reinvest in people and projects instead of luxury. Forbes Kazakhstan said he’s “building billions, not chasing them,” because he channels profits into growth, sports, culture, and education.
Looking Ahead
Timur’s nearly two decades in business highlight a few key themes:
- He adapts fast to new regulations across the U.S., Europe, UAE, and Turkey.
- He leads in digitalization. For example, in Kazakhstan, mortgages take 24 hours and cost just $200, while in the U.S., they can cost $10,000.
- He creates a connected ecosystem where customers move easily from finance to telecom to media.
- He plans global growth in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, plus European bases in Cyprus and Poland, and U.S. links through Prime Executions and LD Micro.
A New Kind of Fintech Leader
Timur Turlov shows what a modern leader looks like. He started as a teenage trader. He built a multibillion-dollar fintech group. And he’s reshaping how digital finance works across countries. His model ties banking, insurance, telecom, media, and lifestyle services together in one seamless experience.
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Learn how Timur Turlov, founder of Freedom Holding Corp., went from teen trader to fintech leader by creating a Nasdaq-listed SuperApp that blends finance, telecom, media, and philanthropy, transforming Kazakhstan’s future.
