Latest news with #VK
Time of India
14 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Telegram founder Pavel Durov plans to divide wealth among his 100+ children — what is his net worth
Pavel Durov , the enigmatic Russian-born entrepreneur behind Telegram , has recently made headlines not for his technological innovations but for his extraordinary personal life and estate plans. Known for founding VKontakte ( VK ), Russia's largest social network, and later the encrypted messaging app Telegram, Durov has amassed a staggering fortune estimated between $13.9 billion and $17.1 billion. Beyond his business success, Durov has fathered over 100 children—six naturally and more than 100 through sperm donation across multiple countries. In an unprecedented move, he intends to divide his entire wealth equally among all his children, regardless of how they were conceived, with the inheritance locked for 30 years to encourage them to build independent lives. This plan reflects Durov's unique philosophy on legacy, freedom, and family. Pavel Durov's rise to billionaire status Born in 1984 in St. Petersburg, Russia, Pavel Durov first made a name for himself by co-founding VKontakte in 2006, often described as the 'Facebook of Russia.' After disputes with new owners and pressure from Russian authorities, he left VK in 2014, refusing to compromise on user privacy. In 2013, he launched Telegram with his brother Nikolai, focusing on secure, encrypted communication. Telegram has since grown to over 1 billion monthly active users and became profitable in 2024, generating over $1 billion in revenue that year. Durov owns 100% of Telegram, making it the primary source of his wealth, which Forbes estimates at $17.1 billion, while Bloomberg places it closer to $13.9 billion. The unconventional family and inheritance plan by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo Durov's personal life is as unconventional as his career. He has six children with three different partners and has fathered over 100 additional children through sperm donations in at least 12 countries. His decision to publicly acknowledge all these children and plan an equal division of his fortune among them is unprecedented. He has stated that he wants no distinctions between his natural and donor-conceived children and that the inheritance will only be accessible to them 30 years from now. This delay is intended to ensure that his children grow up independently, without relying on inherited wealth, fostering self-trust and creativity. Philosophical and practical motivations Durov's approach to wealth distribution reflects his broader libertarian ideals and commitment to freedom. He has long championed privacy and free speech, resisting pressures to monetize Telegram through invasive advertising or data exploitation. His will echoes this ethos by promoting equality among his children and encouraging them to 'live like normal people' rather than depend on inherited riches. This stance also aligns with his history of defiance against authoritarian regimes, notably refusing to share user data with Russian authorities, which led to his exile. Challenges and controversies Despite his success, Durov's journey has not been without legal and political challenges. In August 2024, he was arrested in France on charges related to Telegram's content moderation policies, sparking debates on free speech and platform responsibility. Additionally, investigations have raised concerns about Telegram's infrastructure potentially being linked to Russian intelligence, although Durov continues to defend the platform's independence and privacy commitments Pavel Durov's plan to divide his vast fortune among over 100 children is as bold and unconventional as his career. With a net worth estimated between $13.9 billion and $17.1 billion, his decision to treat all his children equally and delay their access to inheritance for decades challenges traditional notions of wealth and legacy. As the founder of one of the world's largest encrypted messaging platforms, Durov's life story blends technological innovation, personal freedom, and a radical vision for family and inheritance that few could have imagined. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pavel Durov's recently written will: Telegram fortune to be divided amongst 100 kids he fathered
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of the messaging platform Telegram, has announced plans to leave his estimated £17 billion fortune to the more than 100 children he has fathered. The tech mogul, 40, has six children with three different partners and is believed to have around 100 additional offspring resulting from sperm donations he made to numerous couples across 12 countries. In a recent interview with France's Le Point magazine, Durov revealed that he considers all his children—whether conceived naturally or through sperm donations—equally deserving of his fortune. He explained that he sees no difference between those born of his own relationships and those from his donation efforts. Durov is the founder of Telegram, which has more than one billion monthly active users worldwide. His fortune is estimated at up to £17 billion, cementing his status as a key player in the tech world. Durov has been compared to other tech giants like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk due to his influential role in the digital space. Born in Russia, Durov spent part of his childhood in Italy before returning to St Petersburg, where his father worked as a scholar in ancient Roman literature. Durov's entrepreneurial career began with the creation of VK, a social media platform often dubbed the 'Facebook of Russia'. However, after refusing to hand over data on Ukrainian protesters to Russian authorities, he was forced to relinquish control of VK and relocate abroad in 2014. He later founded Telegram as a secure communication platform, inspired by the lack of privacy in Russian social media. Currently based in Dubai, Durov holds dual French and Emirati citizenship. He remains the sole owner of Telegram, despite facing legal challenges in France, including an investigation into criminal activities related to his app.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Russia Today
St. Petersburg's Hermitage blends art and tech in immersive tour project (VIDEO)
Russia's State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and tech giant VK have launched a new digital project offering visitors guided virtual tours. The project, titled 'One Museum. Three Views', offers three themed digital routes hosted by writer Sergey Minaev, comedian Evgeny Chebatkov, and singer Klava Koka, the Hermitage and VK announced on Tuesday. Each tour caters to a different generation and is accessible via a chatbot on the Hermitage's VK page or by scanning QR codes in the museum's halls. The routes cover 33 locations within the museum, including both well known and lesser seen spaces. Visitors are guided by pre-recorded audio and video content that highlight rare exhibits, historical context, and behind-the-scenes details. The digital experience was developed by Hermitage researchers and the Hermitage-Media department. Minaev's tour features several grand ceremonial halls such as the Field Marshal and St. George Halls. In the latter, he is joined by Hermitage Director Mikhail Piotrovsky, who explains the hall's symbolic dedication to St. George. Minaev also takes viewers to the Hanging Garden and Italian art halls, focusing on the museum's resilience when the city was under siege during World War II. Chebatkov's route offers a humorous take on the museum's artworks. In the Romanov Portrait Gallery and before works like Diego Velázquez's 'The Breakfast', he explores how humor in art changed across Russia's imperial eras, with commentary rooted in historical research. Koka's tour is geared toward younger audiences, exploring hidden architectural features and musical history. She visits areas such as the Leonardo da Vinci Hall and the Skylights and shares preservation insights in collaboration with Hermitage staff. All routes end in the Rastrelli Gallery, a media zone offering interactive activities such as digital painting, style-based self-portraits, and multimedia exploration of artworks. Piotrovsky described the initiative as 'a fascinating pioneering project' that creates 'a space filled with unexpected allusions and experiences with which viewers can interact and debate.' The Hermitage is one of the world's largest museums, housing over 3 million artifacts. VK is Russia's leading tech platform by user numbers, reaching more than 95% of the country's internet users.
Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
Telegram boss Pavel Durov says all his 100-plus kids will get a slice of his $13.9 billion fortune — eventually
Telegram cofounder and CEO Pavel Durov said all of his 100-plus children will get a slice of his billions — eventually. The boss of the messaging platform told French outlet Le Point that he's the "official father" of six children from three partners, and has more than 100 offspring in 12 countries after donating his sperm. "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. I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death." The Russian-born entrepreneur has an estimated net worth of almost $14 billion, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. "I wrote my will very recently ... I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has elapsed, starting from today," he told Le Point. "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." Durov explained that he wrote a will despite only being 40 because his work involved risks and he had enemies from within "powerful states." He set up Telegram in 2013 after previously founding the Russian social media network VK. Telegram has about one billion active users globally. Durov was arrested last year after French authorities accused him of being complicit in allowing criminal activity to occur on Telegram. He again denied all the criminal charges laid against him. In an interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this month, Durov said he was still unable to travel freely almost a year after being arrested. Asked about the comparisons with Elon Musk, he told Le Point he was very different to the world's richest person: "Elon runs several companies at once, while I only run one. Elon can be very emotional, while I try to think deeply before acting — but that can also be the source of his strength." Fitness fan Like Durov, Musk also has a number of children. In March Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis said she'd had her fourth child with the Tesla CEO. In response to a comment about his youthful appearance, Durov said his exercise routine involved 300 push-ups in a row, followed by 300 squats. "I don't drink alcohol, coffee, or tea, I don't smoke and I stay away from sugar," Durov added.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Business
- Extra.ie
Telegram founder to leave €20b fortune to '106' children
The billionaire founder of messaging app Telegram is set to leave his fortune to his 106 children that he has fathered. Tech tycoon Pavel Durov has allegedly fathered more than 106 children — six that he conceived naturally with three different women — and the further 100 that he's the biological father of after donating sperm en masse to couples across 12 different countries. Mr Durov, who's worth almost €20billion, recently spoke about how he felt there was no difference between the children he conceived naturally and the children who were born as part of his sperm donations — with him saying that he will leave his entire fortune to each child in 30 years. The billionaire founder of messaging app Telegram is set to leave his fortune to his 106 children that he has fathered. Pic:This means that each of his 106 children will receive approximately €188,000,000 each in the next three decades. 'They are all my children and will all have the same rights,' Mr Durov told Le Point magazine in France. 'I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.' However, Mr Durov's children will live 'normal' lives prior to receiving the huge windfall in the next few decades, with him adding: 'I want them to live like normal people, to build their lives on their own, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create – not to be dependent on a bank account.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pavel Durov (@durov) Mr Durov revealed that he fathered a number of children via sperm donation when a Russian woman who is based in Switzerland said that he was the father of her three children. He would later confirm that he has over 100 children, including those three children, and another three which were conceived naturally, as well as the aforementioned mass sperm donation. Mr Durov has been called the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia, after he founded social media platform VK, the Russian version of Facebook, when he was 21. He was essentially forced to give up the company in 2014 after he wouldn't give up data surrounding Ukrainian protestors, and he moved abroad. He then founded secure messaging app Telegram, which has also seen its share of controversy over the years — including the alleged trading of illegal pornography and drugs. Mr Durov, often called Russia's answer to Mark Zuckerberg, said he would give his estimated €20billion fortune to his army of children. Pic: Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images Mr Durov is currently under judicial supervision in France in connection with his app, after he was placed under investigation for alleged organised crime on the app in France. He is a dual citizen of France and the UAE, and currently resides in Dubai.
