LONDON, United Kingdom — Pavel Durov, the multi-billionaire founder of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, has made a striking revelation, claiming to have fathered more than 100 children.
Durov also outlined his intentions to ensure all his offspring share in his estimated $13.9 billion fortune.
In an interview with French political magazine Le Point, Durov disclosed the surprising number of biological children.
“The clinic, where I started donating sperm 15 years ago to help a friend, told me that more than 100 babies had been conceived this way in 12 countries,” Mr. Durov stated.
He further added that he is the “official father” of six other children born from relationships with three different partners, asserting that “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.”
However, the self-exiled Russian technology tycoon told the magazine that none of his children would gain access to their inheritance for a period of 30 years.
“I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account,” he explained, emphasizing his desire for them to foster self-reliance.
The 40-year-old Durov indicated that he has drafted a will, citing that his profession “involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states.”
His app, Telegram, is renowned for its strong focus on privacy and encrypted messaging and boasts over a billion monthly active users.
Durov also addressed serious criminal charges he faces in France, where he was arrested last year.
He has been accused of failing to adequately moderate the app to curb criminality, specifically denying any wrongdoing or insufficient cooperation with law enforcement regarding drug trafficking, child sexual abuse content, and fraud.
In the Le Point interview, he dismissed the charges as “totally absurd.”
He further defended Telegram’s operations, stating: “Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn’t make those who run it criminals.”
