Kaspi.kz co-owner Vyacheslav Kim cleared to acquire Jusan Bank - Kaspi.kz press service

ALMATY. June 2 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan's Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) has granted permission to Kaspi.kz co-owner Vyacheslav Kim to acquire Jusan Bank, the Kaspi.kz press service confirmed to the Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency.

"We confirm the information," the Kaspi.kz press service told Interfax-Kazakhstan, adding that "the regulator's release will be issued tomorrow."

In February, Kim applied to the ARDFM for clearance to acquire 97.5% of Jusan Bank's shares. Kim said at the time that the deal was unrelated to Kaspi.kz.

Reports about Kim's intention to buy Jusan Bank shares owned by businessman Galimzhan Yessenov, citing sources in various media outlets, first emerged in autumn 2024. However, none of the potential parties to the deal commented on the information at that time.

First Heartland Jusan Bank, which had acquired 99.76% of ATF Bank shares from Yessenov in late 2020, completed the merger of that bank in September 2021.

Yessenov owns 19.67% of Jusan Bank shares directly, with a further 77.86% held through First Heartland Securities JSC.

As of March 1, 2025, Jusan Bank was 6th by assets among the 21 banks operating in Kazakhstan.

Vyacheslav Kim owns 20.39% of Kaspi.kz shares. Kaspi.kz combines online payment and P2P transfer services, personal finance management, and online shopping. The company operates across three platforms: Payments, Marketplace, and Fintech. The group includes Kaspi Shop LLP, Kaspi Bank, Kaspi Pay LLP, and Kaspi Travel LLP.

In 2024, Kaspi.kz shareholder Vyacheslav Kim topped the Forbes ranking of the richest businessmen in Kazakhstan. According to Forbes, his fortune is estimated at $5.8 billion.