Yelena Nikolayevna Baturina (born March 8, 1963, in Moscow, Russia) is a prominent Russian billionaire businesswoman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Coming from a working-class family, she developed a strong work ethic early on. After graduating high school in 1980, she worked as a design technician while pursuing higher education in economics. Baturina founded Inteco in 1991, initially focusing on plastics production, which later expanded into construction, real estate, and hospitality. Her business acumen propelled her to become Russia's richest woman and one of the few self-made female billionaires in the country. She diversified her investments internationally, including U.S. real estate developments in New York and hotel ownership in Austria. Baturina has been recognized for her philanthropic efforts, supporting cultural and social initiatives.

Baturina was married to Yury Luzhkov, the mayor of Moscow from 1992 to 2010, until his death in 2019. Their relationship drew significant scrutiny, with accusations of corrupt business practices leveled against her, primarily due to perceived favoritism in securing Moscow government contracts for Inteco during Luzhkov's tenure. Critics alleged conflicts of interest, though no formal convictions resulted. Post-Luzhkov's dismissal in 2010 amid political tensions, Baturina relocated much of her operations abroad, basing herself in Austria. She has faced additional controversies, including reports of financial ties to international figures, such as a $3.5 million wire transfer to a U.S. entity linked to Hunter Biden in 2014, which has been cited in investigations into influence peddling, though she has denied any impropriety.

Despite challenges, Baturina continues to manage her global empire, emphasizing sustainable development and innovation in her projects. Her career reflects the turbulent transition from Soviet-era economics to Russia's post-communist market, where she navigated regulatory uncertainties to build substantial wealth estimated in the billions.