Telegram CEO Pavel Durov says he will leave his huge $17 billion fortune to his 106 children
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of Telegram, has announced that he plans to divide his entire fortune – estimated at over $17 billion – among his more than 100 children, most of whom were conceived through sperm donation. In an interview with French magazine Le Point, Durov, 40, said he is the biological father of at least 106 children. Six of them were conceived naturally with three different partners, and the remaining 100-plus were born in 12 countries following anonymous sperm donations he began 15 years ago.advertisement'I want to specify that I make no difference between my children: There are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations,' Durov said. 'They are all my children, and will all have the same rights!'According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index and Forbes, Durov's net worth ranges between $13.9 billion and $17.1 billion. This would translate to an inheritance of roughly $131 million to $161 million per child, based on current estimates. However, there is a catch. The children won't have access to their shares until 30 years after the date of the interview – 19 June 2055. Durov explained that this decision is intended to ensure they grow up independently.
'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 said.advertisementHe revealed that he made these plans while preparing his will, prompted by the risks involved in his work. This appears to be a reference to the legal challenges he is currently facing in France. In August 2024, Durov was arrested by French authorities at Bourget Airport near Paris, after flying in from Azerbaijan on his private jet. He is under investigation for alleged complicity in enabling illegal activities through Telegram, including child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, money laundering, and organised crime.The arrest was part of a broader investigation led by France's OFMIN, an agency focused on tackling violence against minors. French magistrates extended his detention for up to 96 hours to allow further questioning. After this period, he must either be charged or released. Despite the serious allegations, Durov has denied any wrongdoing. 'Nothing has ever been proven showing that I am, even for a second, guilty of anything,' he told Le Point. He also stressed his belief in defending privacy, adding: 'Defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states.'Telegram has stood firmly behind its CEO. In a statement posted on its social media accounts, the company said: 'Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform.'advertisementThe company also clarified that it complies with European Union regulations, including the Digital Services Act, and said its content moderation policies meet industry standards.Founded in 2013, Telegram is known for its strong encryption and refusal to share user data – even with authorities. While the platform has attracted nearly a billion users worldwide, its privacy-first stance has also drawn criticism from law enforcement agencies. Durov, however, remains defiant. 'Just because criminals use our messaging service, among many others, doesn't make those who run it criminals,' he told Le Point.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
The success of a key Nato summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defence spending
The success of a key Nato summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defence spending (Image: AP) BRUSSELS: The success of a key Nato summit hung in the balance on Friday, after Spain announced that it cannot raise the billions of dollars needed to meet a new defence investment pledge demanded by US President Donald Trump . Trump and his Nato counterparts are meeting for two days in the Netherlands from next Tuesday. He insists that US allies should commit to spending at least 5 percent of gross domestic product, but that requires investment at an unprecedented scale. Trump has cast doubt over whether the US would defend allies that spend too little. Setting the spending goal would be a historic decision. It would see all 32 countries invest the same amount in defence for the first time. Only last week, Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that they would endorse it. But in a letter to Rutte on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote that "committing to a 5percent target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive." "It would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the (European Union's) ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter, seen by The Associated Press. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Perdagangkan CFD Emas dengan Broker Tepercaya IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Spain is not entirely alone Belgium, Canada, France and Italy would also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars, but Spain is the only country to officially announce its intentions, making it hard to row back from such a public decision. Beyond his economic challenges, Sanchez has other problems. He relies on small parties to govern, and corruption scandals have ensnared his inner circle and family members. He's under growing pressure to call an early election. In response to the letter, Rutte's office said only that "discussions among allies on a new defence investment plan are ongoing." Nato's top civilian official had been due to table a new proposal on Friday to try to break the deadlock. The US and French envoys had also been due to update reporters about the latest developments ahead of the summit but postponed their briefings. Rutte and many European allies are desperate to resolve the problem by Tuesday so that Trump does not derail the summit, as he did during his first term at Nato headquarters in 2018. Budget boosting After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nato allies agreed that 2 percent of GDP should be the minimum they spend on their military budgets. But Nato's new plans for defending its own territory against outside attack require investment of at least 3 percent. Spain agreed to those plans in 2023. The 5 percent goal is made up of two parts. The allies would agree to hike pure defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP. A further 1.5 percent would go to upgrade roads, bridges, ports and airfields so that armies can better deploy, and to prepare societies for future attacks. Mathematically, 3.5 plus 1.5 equals Trump's 5 percent. But a lot is hiding behind the figures and details of what kinds of things can be included remain cloudy. Countries closest to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have all agreed to the target, as well as nearby Germany, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, which is hosting the June 24-25 summit. The Netherlands estimates that Nato's defence plans would force it to dedicate at least 3.5 percent to core defence spending. That means finding an additional 16 billion to 19 billion euros ($18 billion to $22 billion). Supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine, which Spain does, will also be included as core defence spending. Nato estimates that the US spent around 3.2 percent of GDP on defence last year. Dual use, making warfighting possible The additional 1.5 percent spending basket is murkier. Rutte and many members argue that infrastructure used to deploy armies to the front must be included, as well as building up defence industries and preparing citizens for possible attacks. "If a tank is not able to cross a bridge. If our societies are not prepared in case war breaks out for a whole of society approach. If we are not able to really develop the defence industrial base, then the 3.5 percent is great but you cannot really defend yourselves," Rutte said this month. Spain wanted climate change spending included, but that proposal was rejected. Cyber-security and counter-hybrid warfare investment should also make the cut. Yet with all the conjecture about what might be included, it's difficult to see how Rutte arrived at this 1.5 percent figure. The when, the how, and a cunning plan It's not enough to agree to spend more money. Many allies haven't yet hit the 2 percent target, although most will this year, and they had a decade to get there. So an incentive is required. The date of 2032 has been floated as a deadline. That's far shorter than previous Nato targets, but military planners estimate that Russian forces could be capable of launching an attack on an ally within 5-10 years. The US insists that it cannot be an open-ended pledge, and that a decade is too long. Still, Italy says it wants 10 years to hit the 5 percent target. Another issue is how fast spending should be ramped up. "I have a cunning plan for that," Rutte said. He wants the allies to submit annual plans that lay out how much they intend to increase spending by. The reasons for the spending hike For Europe, Russia's war on Ukraine poses an existential threat. A major rise in sabotage, cyberattacks and GPS jamming incidents is blamed on Moscow. European leaders are girding their citizens for the possibility of more. The United States also insists that China poses a threat. But for European people to back a hike in national defence spending, their governments require acknowledgement that the Kremlin remains Nato's biggest security challenge. The billions required for security will be raised by taxes, going into debt, or shuffling money from other budgets. But it won't be easy for many, as Spain has shown. On top of that, Trump has made things economically tougher by launching a global tariff war - ostensibly for US national security reasons - something America's allies find hard to fathom.
Time of India
34 minutes ago
- Time of India
The success of a key NATO summit is in doubt after Spain rejects a big hike in defense spending
The success of a key NATO summit hung in the balance on Friday, after Spain announced that it cannot raise the billions of dollars needed to meet a new defense investment pledge demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump . Trump and his NATO counterparts are meeting for two days in the Netherlands from next Tuesday. He insists that U.S. allies should commit to spending at least 5% of gross domestic product, but that requires investment at an unprecedented scale. Trump has cast doubt over whether the U.S. would defend allies that spend too little. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Victoria Principal Is Almost 75, See Her Now Reportingly Undo Setting the spending goal would be a historic decision. It would see all 32 countries invest the same amount in defense for the first time. Only last week, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that they would endorse it. But in a letter to Rutte on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote that "committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive." Live Events "It would move Spain away from optimal spending and it would hinder the (European Union's) ongoing efforts to strengthen its security and defense ecosystem," Sanchez wrote in the letter, seen by The Associated Press. Spain is not entirely alone Belgium, Canada, France and Italy would also struggle to hike security spending by billions of dollars, but Spain is the only country to officially announce its intentions, making it hard to row back from such a public decision. Beyond his economic challenges, Sanchez has other problems. He relies on small parties to govern, and corruption scandals have ensnared his inner circle and family members. He's under growing pressure to call an early election. In response to the letter, Rutte's office said only that "discussions among allies on a new defense investment plan are ongoing." NATO's top civilian official had been due to table a new proposal on Friday to try to break the deadlock. The U.S. and French envoys had also been due to update reporters about the latest developments ahead of the summit but postponed their briefings. Rutte and many European allies are desperate to resolve the problem by Tuesday so that Trump does not derail the summit, as he did during his first term at NATO headquarters in 2018. Budget boosting After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO allies agreed that 2% of GDP should be the minimum they spend on their military budgets. But NATO's new plans for defending its own territory against outside attack require investment of at least 3%. Spain agreed to those plans in 2023. The 5% goal is made up of two parts. The allies would agree to hike pure defense spending to 3.5% of GDP. A further 1.5% would go to upgrade roads, bridges, ports and airfields so that armies can better deploy, and to prepare societies for future attacks. Mathematically, 3.5 plus 1.5 equals Trump's 5%. But a lot is hiding behind the figures and details of what kinds of things can be included remain cloudy. Countries closest to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine have all agreed to the target, as well as nearby Germany, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands, which is hosting the June 24-25 summit. The Netherlands estimates that NATO's defense plans would force it to dedicate at least 3.5% to core defense spending. That means finding an additional 16 billion to 19 billion euros ($18 billion to $22 billion). Supplying arms and ammunition to Ukraine, which Spain does, will also be included as core defense spending. NATO estimates that the U.S. spent around 3.2% of GDP on defense last year. Dual use, making warfighting possible The additional 1.5% spending basket is murkier. Rutte and many members argue that infrastructure used to deploy armies to the front must be included, as well as building up defense industries and preparing citizens for possible attacks. "If a tank is not able to cross a bridge. If our societies are not prepared in case war breaks out for a whole of society approach. If we are not able to really develop the defense industrial base, then the 3.5% is great but you cannot really defend yourselves," Rutte said this month. Spain wanted climate change spending included, but that proposal was rejected. Cyber-security and counter-hybrid warfare investment should also make the cut. Yet with all the conjecture about what might be included, it's difficult to see how Rutte arrived at this 1.5% figure. The when, the how, and a cunning plan It's not enough to agree to spend more money. Many allies haven't yet hit the 2% target, although most will this year, and they had a decade to get there. So an incentive is required. The date of 2032 has been floated as a deadline. That's far shorter than previous NATO targets, but military planners estimate that Russian forces could be capable of launching an attack on an ally within 5-10 years. The U.S. insists that it cannot be an open-ended pledge, and that a decade is too long. Still, Italy says it wants 10 years to hit the 5% target. Another issue is how fast spending should be ramped up. "I have a cunning plan for that," Rutte said. He wants the allies to submit annual plans that lay out how much they intend to increase spending by. The reasons for the spending hike For Europe, Russia's war on Ukraine poses an existential threat. A major rise in sabotage, cyberattacks and GPS jamming incidents is blamed on Moscow. European leaders are girding their citizens for the possibility of more. The United States also insists that China poses a threat. But for European people to back a hike in national defense spending, their governments require acknowledgement that the Kremlin remains NATO's biggest security challenge. The billions required for security will be raised by taxes, going into debt, or shuffling money from other budgets. But it won't be easy for many, as Spain has shown. On top of that, Trump has made things economically tougher by launching a global tariff war - ostensibly for U.S. national security reasons - something America's allies find hard to fathom.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Europeans see window for diplomacy as they meet Iran's foreign minister
Europeans see window for diplomacy as they meet Iran's foreign minister(AP Photos) Iran's foreign minister plans to meet in Geneva on Friday with leading European counterparts, who hope to open a window for a diplomatic solution to the week-old war that has seen Israeli airstrikes target Iranian nuclear and military sites and Tehran firing back. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country has "nothing to discuss" with the United States as long as Israel continues its strikes on Iran, but is open to "dialogue" with others, though not negotiations. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who will meet Araghchi together with his French and German counterparts and the European Union's foreign policy chief, said that "a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." The talks will be the first face-to-face meeting between Western and Iranian officials since the start of the conflict. Lammy is travelling to Geneva after meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff. Trump has been weighing whether to attack Iran by striking its well-defended Fordo uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain and widely considered to be out of reach of all but America's "bunker-buster" bombs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo He said Wednesday that he'll decide within two weeks whether the US military will get directly involved in the war given the "substantial chance" for renewed negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme. French President Emmanuel Macron said the European diplomats will make a "comprehensive, diplomatic and technical offer of negotiation" to Iran. Israel says it launched its airstrike campaign last week to stop Iran from getting closer to being able to build a nuclear weapon. Iran and the United States had been negotiating over the possibility of a new diplomatic deal over Tehran's programme, though Trump has said Israel's campaign came after a 60-day window he set for the talks. Iran says no negotiations while Israeli attacks continue Iran's supreme leader rejected US calls for surrender Wednesday and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause "irreparable damage to them." In an interview aired Friday by Iranian state television, Araghchi said that "in the current situation, as the Zionist regime's attacks continue, we are not seeking negotiations with anyone." He said that "we have nothing to discuss with the United States, which is a partner in these crimes," and Tehran rejected negotiations with the Americans. "As for others, if they seek dialogue, not negotiations, which don't make sense right now, we have no problem with that," he added. But he said that Friday's discussion would focus "solely on the nuclear issue and regional matters" and Iran won't hold talks on its missiles with anyone. Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. The three European countries played an important role in the negotiations over the original 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. But they have repeatedly threatened to reinstate sanctions that were lifted under the deal if Iran does not improve its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency. Europeans stand ready to negotiate Germany's foreign minister acknowledged that years of efforts to relieve concerns about the possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon haven't succeeded, but said it's worth talking now. "If there is serious and transparent readiness by Iran to refrain from this, then there is a real chance of preventing a further escalation of this conflict, and for that every conversation makes sense," Johann Wadephul said in a podcast released by broadcaster MDR on Friday. Wadephul said US officials "not only know that we are conducting these talks but are very much in agreement with us doing so - so I think Iran should now know that it should conduct these talks with a new seriousness and reliability." Before travelling to Geneva on Friday, Wadephul said the Europeans would be prepared to hold further talks if Iran shows serious readiness to refrain from any enrichment that could result in nuclear weapons, among other things, but stressed that "it's Iran's move now." French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke by phone with Rubio on Thursday evening. A French diplomatic official, who was not allowed to speak publicly on the issue, said Barrot detailed the purposes of the Geneva meeting and Rubio "stressed that the US was ready for direct contact with the Iranians at any time."
