Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Plans to Leave Fortune to Over 100 Children He Fathered

4 hours ago 2

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The founder and CEO of the instant messaging platform Telegram, Pavel Durov, revealed his plan to leave his fortune to over 100 children whom he acknowledges as his biological offspring. This number consists of six children from relationships, while the rest were born through sperm donation.

In an interview published by the French political magazine Le Point on Thursday, the Russian-born technology billionaire said that his inheritance will be divided among six children from three different women, as well as dozens of others conceived through sperm donation programs.

Durov emphasized that he does not differentiate between children born from personal relationships and those from sperm donation. “They are all my children and will all have the same rights. I don’t want them to tear each other apart after my death,” he told Le Point, as quoted from The Guardian on June 21.

Durov has been regularly donating sperm for the past 15 years.

Pavel Durov's Profile

Citing bitcoinwiki.org, Durov was born in 1984 in Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg. After completing his studies at the Saint Petersburg State University in 2006, he began to delve into the world of programming and developed various digital projects.

In 2007, Durov, along with his brother Nikolay, co-founded VKontakte, a social media platform dubbed as the Russian version of Facebook. The site quickly gained popularity and had more than 20 million active users.

In 2011, Durov faced police at his residence in St. Petersburg, following the government's request to remove pages belonging to opposition figures after controversial parliamentary elections.

After leaving Russia, Durov obtained citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis through a $250,000 donation to the country's Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation. He also transferred assets worth $300 million to several Swiss banks. This decision gave him the freedom to focus on establishing Telegram, the first encrypted messaging service based in Berlin.

As reported by Antara on August 27, 2024, in 2013, Durov launched Telegram, an instant messaging application seen as the main competitor to WhatsApp. By July 2024, the number of its users had surpassed 950 million globally.

Telegram has gained widespread popularity in various countries, including Russia and Ukraine. The application is often used by government officials, military analysts, and political figures from both sides involved in the ongoing armed conflict.

Following disputes with authorities in Russia regarding VKontakte, Durov once again drew the attention of Russia's communications watchdog, Roskomnadzor, which later questioned Telegram.

During the period of 2018 to 2020, Telegram was briefly blocked in Russia for refusing to provide encryption keys to the Federal Security Service (FSB). Durov argued that sharing encryption codes with intelligence agencies would violate the constitution, particularly the legally protected right to privacy.

Despite facing pressure from the Russian government, Pavel Durov's wealth continued to grow. In August 2024, he made his first appearance in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index and ranked among the top 300 wealthiest individuals in the world.

Editor’s Choice: 5 Facts About Pavel Durov, Telegram CEO Arrested in Paris

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News

Canada, Russia Keen to Develop Nuclear Plants in Indonesia, Minister Claims

18 jam lalu

Canada, Russia Keen to Develop Nuclear Plants in Indonesia, Minister Claims

Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that Russia and Canada have submitted proposals for the development of nuclear power plants in Indonesia.

In the Midst of the Israel-Iran Conflict, Here's How Putin Is Backing Tehran

21 jam lalu

In the Midst of the Israel-Iran Conflict, Here's How Putin Is Backing Tehran

President Vladimir Putin reaffirms Russia's full support for Iran and criticizes the recent attacks on Tehran as unjustified aggression.

Prabowo Suggests Demilitarization Plan to Resolve Russia-Ukraine Conflict

1 hari lalu

Prabowo Suggests Demilitarization Plan to Resolve Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto proposes a demilitarization zone agreed upon by Russia and Ukraine.

U.S. Enters Israel-Iran Conflict: What is Indonesia's Stance?

3 hari lalu

U.S. Enters Israel-Iran Conflict: What is Indonesia's Stance?

The U.S.' involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict sparks fears of a wider Middle East conflagration, potentially even triggering World War III.

Iranian Foreign Minister Arrives in Moscow for Talks with Putin

3 hari lalu

Iranian Foreign Minister Arrives in Moscow for Talks with Putin

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will consult with Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials after the recent attacks by Israel and the US on nuclear sites in Iran.

China and Russia React to U.S. Attack on Iran

3 hari lalu