Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram – one of the world’s most popular apps with over a billion active users – continues to stir public controversy with his unconventional decisions. At age 40, Durov, whose net worth is estimated at between $13.9 and $15 billion, announced in an interview with the French magazine Le Point that he intends to bequeath his vast fortune to more than 100 of his children. Durov’s unique family situation includes six children from three different partners, and over 100 others born from sperm donations he began making about 15 years ago. The clinic where he began donating sperm to help a friend informed him that more than 100 children were born from his sperm in over 12 countries. “They are all my children and they will all have the same rights. I don’t want them to fight each other after I die,” Durov declared.
Durov said he makes no distinction between children born naturally and those conceived through sperm donation, and that all will have equal rights to his inheritance – but only after they turn 30. “I want my children to learn to stand on their own feet, to develop independence, and to appreciate the value of hard work,” he said in the interview. “I want them to live like normal people, to build their lives on their own, to learn to rely on themselves, to be creative, and not depend on a bank account.”
Durov’s decision to donate sperm for years, which led to the birth of over 100 children, has raised ethical and social questions. Much criticism has been voiced about his multiple donations, including concerns about the risk of accidental relationships between half-siblings unaware of their connection, or about questions of identity and belonging. However, Durov is at peace with his choice and presents it as part of his vision to impact the world through the next generation. He sees it as an act of influence and believes he can pass on his values, thinking, and DNA. It’s part of his vision for a profound transformation of humanity through free individuals, and he claims this is done from a sense of mission, not egotism.
Durov, now 40, has already prepared a will, as he says his work involves risks. “Protecting freedom can create enemies, even in very powerful countries,” he said. Durov is a Russian tech entrepreneur born in 1984, who holds citizenship of the UAE and St. Kitts and Nevis. He is a controversial figure who gained fame for founding VK, Russia’s largest social network – something like a local Facebook – before leaving the country in 2014 after conflicts with the authorities.
The confrontation with the Russian government began when he refused to hand over user data of opposition figures to the Russian authorities. The government demanded access to servers, and he refused – leading to pressure, threats, and eventually his removal from the company he founded. Since then, he considers himself a voluntary exile, without a permanent home and no loyalty to a single country. In 2013, he founded Telegram together with his brother Nikolai. Durov’s lifestyle contributes to the mystique surrounding him. In his interview with Le Point, he revealed that he avoids alcohol, coffee, and tea, and performs 300 push-ups and 300 sit-ups every morning. Durov maintains a clean-cut look – black, elegant, even “monastic.” He adheres to a strict diet, sports routine, avoids alcohol and sugar, and speaks about extreme minimalism. He doesn’t look like a typical Silicon Valley entrepreneur, but more like the protagonist of a tech-thriller movie.
In recent years, Durov has lived in various countries, from the Caribbean to Dubai, but he is apparently now residing in the UAE. He does not hold active Russian citizenship and was, for a time, stateless. He claimed this gave him total freedom. Since leaving Russia, he has focused on Telegram, a platform that emphasizes privacy and freedom of expression – values that have made him a hero to many but also a target for the Russian government and various law enforcement agencies. The app he launched in 2013 now has over a billion monthly active users.
Telegram offers much more freedom than WhatsApp, both in terms of content and technology. For example, users can open public channels, livestream, use advanced bots, manage massive communities, send large files, and more. On the flip side, Telegram is less encrypted by default. The app is considered controversial due to its use by drug dealers, terrorist organizations, and for spreading fake news. Durov claims this is the price of free expression, but many governments argue that his platform has become fertile ground for incitement, terror recruitment, and the spread of extremist content. Last year, authorities in France accused him of facilitating crimes committed through Telegram, including the distribution of illegal content. He is accused of failing to take appropriate action to prevent criminal content on the app, including drug trafficking, child pornography, and fraud. Durov denied the accusations, claiming that his platform is committed to protecting free speech while cooperating with local laws. “They are completely absurd. Just because criminals use our messaging service, among many others, doesn’t mean the operator is a criminal,” he stated in an interview. “The fact that criminals exploit the app does not mean the person who runs it is a criminal.”
A French court allowed him to travel to Dubai for periods of up to two weeks starting July 10, indicating a slight easing of the restrictions placed on him, though the legal issue continues to cast a heavy shadow over his business and Telegram. Telegram is also under scrutiny in other countries, including the UK and the US, due to concerns over the platform’s use for illegal activities.
Telegram does not feature traditional advertisements, at least not in the conventional sense. For years, funding came out of Durov’s own pocket, with him investing hundreds of millions of dollars. In recent years, monetization channels have been added, such as ads on public channels (anonymously-based), paid premium services, and business bots. Durov has previously promised never to sell Telegram, not even for billions. He has refused massive offers in the past. But as costs rise and the business model is re-evaluated, it’s unclear whether he can maintain that promise over time.
Durov’s vision is to create a platform that is independent of countries, governments, or capitalists – something that exists on its own merit. Part of this is expressed in Telegram, and part in efforts to develop a decentralized economic system. In a way, he is trying to build a technological utopia, even if in practice it is far from perfect.
Indirectly, he has political influence. In recent years, Telegram has been a central tool in protests in Iran, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine – and also in Israel. Durov does not identify politically, but his platform has become a political weapon, with significant impact on grassroots organizing, information exposure, and free message flow.
According to him, he doesn’t seek legitimacy from anyone. As far as he’s concerned, if he has a vision and lives by it – that’s enough. He presents himself as someone not motivated by money or image, but by values. Just as he does not believe in institutional censorship, he also doesn’t believe in the traditional family structure. For him, both Telegram and parenthood are means to create personal freedom, independence, and an alternative to the existing system.