Watch: Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested in France. Who is he?

Pavel Durov, the CEO and founder of the messaging app Telegram, was arrested by French authorities on the evening of Saturday, August 24, at Le Bourget airport near Paris. Durov, who was traveling from Azerbaijan on a private jet, was detained around 8:00 PM local time (6:00 PM GMT), as reported by AFP.

The arrest warrant for Durov was issued by France’s OFMIN, an agency dedicated to preventing violence against minors. The agency is investigating Telegram’s alleged failure to address issues like fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime, and the promotion of terrorism on its platform.

 

Who Is Pavel Durov?

Pavel Durov, 39, is the founder and CEO of Telegram, a messaging app known for offering a free and secure alternative to services like WhatsApp and WeChat.

According to Forbes, Durov has an estimated net worth of $15.5 billion. He left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with a Russian court order to grant access to Telegram’s encrypted messages. This refusal led to the app being blocked in Russia in 2018, although the ban had minimal impact on its usage. The ban sparked widespread protests in Moscow and drew criticism from various NGOs.

Durov became a French citizen in August 2021, and in 2017, he relocated himself and Telegram to Dubai. Reports suggest that he has also acquired citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean nation.

In an April interview with Tucker Carlson, Durov expressed his strong preference for freedom over strict adherence to orders. He mentioned that his search for a suitable base for his company took him to cities like Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.

During the interview, Durov also revealed that, apart from money and Bitcoin, he does not own significant assets such as real estate, private jets, or yachts, emphasizing his commitment to personal freedom.

 

Father of Over 100 Children Through Sperm Donation

Pavel Durov recently made headlines by disclosing on Telegram that he has fathered over 100 children in 12 different countries through sperm donation. “I just discovered I have more than 100 biological kids. How could this happen when I’ve never been married and prefer to live alone?” Durov wrote.

He explained that 15 years ago, a close friend who was struggling with infertility asked him to donate sperm, which led to this surprising discovery.