By Olivier Acuña Barba •
Printed: 21 Jun 2025 • 14:28
• 3 minutes learn
Pavel Durov says in his eyes, all his 100 kids are the identical | | Credit: Moscow Instances
The founding father of the favored prompt messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, has revealed his plans to depart his complete fortune, estimated at $13.9 billion, to his 100 organic kids.
“They’re all my kids and can all have the identical rights! I don’t need them to tear one another aside after my dying,” Mr Durov, whose app is utilized by over a billion folks worldwide, advised French political journal Le Level.
The Telegram founder stated he was the “official father” of six kids by three completely different companions, however the clinic, the place I began donating sperm 15 years in the past to assist a good friend, advised me that greater than 100 infants had been conceived this fashion in 12 international locations.”
Nevertheless, he stated in his eyes, there’s no distinction between his 100 kids. “I wish to specify that I make no distinction between my kids: some had been conceived naturally, and people who come from my sperm donations.”
‘My work entails dangers’
Durov, a 40-year-old Russian tech entrepreneur from Leningrad, clarified that the wealth will stay accessible to all of his kids for 3 a long time.
“I made a decision that my kids wouldn’t have entry to my fortune till a interval of 30 years has elapsed, ranging from at the moment,” Durov stated. “I need them to dwell like regular folks, to construct themselves up alone, to be taught to belief themselves, to have the ability to create, to not be depending on a checking account.”
Based on a Bloomberg report, Durov is price an estimated $13.9 billion, however he dismissed such estimates as “theoretical,” telling Le Level: “Since I’m not promoting Telegram, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have this cash in a checking account. My liquid belongings are a lot decrease – and so they don’t come from Telegram: they arrive from my funding in bitcoin in 2013.”
When requested why he determined to jot down his will now, Durov, who lives in Dubai, stated, “My work entails dangers – defending freedoms earns you a lot enemies, together with inside highly effective states. I wish to defend my kids, in addition to the corporate I created, Telegram. I need Telegram to stay without end trustworthy to the values I defend.”
In 2024, Durov was arrested in Paris on expenses referring to a number of crimes, together with allegations that his platform was complicit in aiding cash launderers, drug traffickers and folks spreading youngster pornography.
‘A manipulation tactic’
He responded to these expenses, saying, “Simply because criminals use our messaging service amongst many others doesn’t make those that run it criminals.”
Earlier this 12 months, Durov defended Telegram’s file on tackling youngster abuse in a publish on X, the place he wrote that “Since 2018, Telegram has fought youngster abuse in some ways: content material fingerprint bans, devoted moderation groups, NGO hotlines, and each day transparency experiences on banned content material – all verifiable.”
“Falsely implying Telegram did nothing to take away youngster porn is a manipulation tactic.”
A Telegram spokesperson advised BBC Information that the app was “not efficient for the unfold of dangerous content material as a result of it doesn’t use algorithms that promote sensational supplies like these used on different platforms”.
Within the UK, the app was scrutinised for internet hosting far-right channels that had been instrumental in organising the violent dysfunction in English cities final summer time.
Telegram did take away some teams, however total, its system of moderating extremist and unlawful content material is considerably weaker than that of different social media corporations and messenger apps, based on cybersecurity specialists.
All requires violence eliminated
The app says it has “eliminated all channels discovered sharing requires violence”, and it denies that its system of moderation is weaker than others’. “That is false,” its spokesperson stated. “Telegram’s moderation meets or exceeds all business requirements.”
“Telegram blocks tens of 1000’s of teams and channels each day and removes tens of millions of items of content material that violate its Phrases of Service, together with incitement to violence, sharing youngster abuse supplies, and buying and selling unlawful items,” the app says on its web site website.