Latest news with #billionaire
ABC News
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Why are people queueing for hours for 'furry little gremlins'?
You may have heard people talking about 'Labubus', which are the most popular character in a series of toys that come in what are called 'Blind Boxes'. The toys are so in demand that people all over the world are lining up for hours to try and get one… as the toys sell out within minutes. Many then post their experience unboxing the toy on social media, not knowing which exact one they're going to get. Its big business too, with the craze pushing the founder of the store that sells the toys into China's top 10 list of richest people, now with a net worth of more than 22 billion US dollars. Sarah Morice spoke with Professor Joshua Dale has written a book called 'Irresistible: How Cuteness Wired our Brains and Conquered the World'. He's also a Professor at Chuo University, in Tokyo.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Controversial Telegram Co-Founder Says He'll Leave $17 Billion Fortune to His 106 Children
Pavel Durov said in a new sinterview he will divide his estate among at least 106 children upon his death The Telegram co-founder is "the official father" to six children, conceived naturally with three different women, as well as over 100 children conceived via sperm donation, he said Durov has faced controversy for his work with Telegram, including accusations by French authorities that criminal activity thrives on the popular messaging appA controversial co-founder of the messaging platform Telegram says he is dividing his fortune between his children — and he says he has at least 106 of them. Pavel Durov, 40, told the French outlet Le Point in an interview about his decision to allocate his fortune. He's worth about $17.1 billion, per Forbes. Father to six children via natural conception, Durov said he has also been a sperm donor for 100-plus kids in 12 countries. The billionaire first became a sperm donor to "help a friend," he said, but otherwise it was anonymous. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "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," he said. "They are all my children and will all have the same rights!" Durov said that his children will not have access to their inheritances, after his death, until 30 years from the day he gave the interview to Le Point, or June 19, 2055. "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. Durov decided to allocate his estate now because his "work involves risks," he said — an apparent reference to the legal issues he has faced over Telegram. The messaging app, founded in 2013, is popular for its privacy and encryption options. But that has also created problems with law enforcement. French authorities charged Pavel in August 2024 and accused him of allegedly being complicit in running a platform in which illegal activity — such as child sex abuse material, drug trade and fraud — could thrive, according to The New York Times and NBC News. The status of that case is not clear, but Durov told Le Point: "Defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states." Telegram has also said it uses various content moderation techniques to weed out illicit behavior, NBC News reported. Read the original article on People
The Sun
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Billionaire ‘supersperm' donor to leave vast fortune to his 106 children… and he's so rich they'll STILL get £160m each
THE billionaire founder of Telegram has made a new will - splitting his £17bn fortune among his 106 kids. Pavel Durov, 40, says he'll treat all his children equally, whether born via sperm donation or 'naturally'. 5 5 The self-exiled Russian tycoon told Le Point magazine that none of his children will be getting their hands on the cash for the next 30 years. Durov said: '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.' Durov is the founder of Telegram messenger, which is known for its focus on privacy and encrypted messaging and boasts over a billion monthly active users worldwide. Dubbed the Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk of Russia, the tech tycoon has an estimated net worth of £17 billion. He told the magazine he drafted his will because he feels threatened after refusing to share user data with the secret services of Russia and Western countries. Durov said: 'My work involves risks - defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states. 'I want to protect my children, but also the company I created, Telegram. 'I want Telegram to always remain true to the values I stand for.' Discussing his alleged 106 kids, he said: 'I decided that my children will not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has passed, starting from today… 'I want to make it clear that I make no distinction between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally, and those born from my sperm donations. 'They are all my children and they will all have the same rights. 'I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.' 5 Telegram founder Pavel Durov faces four more days of questioning after arrest over 'failing to stop terrorism' on app Durov said he has six children, for whom he is the 'official father, with three different partners. 'The others were born from my anonymous donations. 'The [Russian] clinic where I started donating sperm 15 years ago - to help a friend - told me that over 100 babies have been conceived this way in 12 countries.' He added: 'I have a newborn son - I'm missing his first months. 'He doesn't even have a passport because I wasn't at his birth in Dubai.' Durov is also a French citizen and currently lives in France, where he is under investigation. He was arrested last year after flying from Azerbaijan to Paris with girlfriend Yulia Vavilova, 24, a gamer and crypto coach. Authorities claimed Telegram's lack of moderation, limited cooperation with law enforcement and features like disposable numbers and cryptocurrency make it an accomplice in drug trafficking, paedophilia and fraud. When Durov refused to hand over data on Ukrainian protesters to Russian security agencies, he was effectively forced to give up his company and move abroad in 2014. He said the French investigation into his affairs was 'completely absurd', adding, "Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals." He said: 'Telegram staff can't see or read user messages. 'That's why we've never revealed a single private message. 'If a court flags a user ID in a criminal case, we review metadata - IP address, phone number. That's it.' Telegram is widely used by both Russia and Ukrainian sides in the war.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov plans to leave fortune to his 100-plus children
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, a messaging app, has fathered more than 100 children, all of whom will share in the inheritance of his multi-billion-dollar fortune, he told French magazine Le Point in a wide-ranging interview published Thursday. Durov, who told the magazine that he recently drafted his will, said that his children will inherit his fortune, but not for 30 years from today. He is worth $13.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Durov didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS MoneyWatch. "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 told the publication. Durov, who is 40, added that he has six children who were conceived naturally with three different partners, plus at least another 100, whom he's fathered through sperm donations. "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," he told Le Point. Durov made clear that his children "will all have the same rights." Based on his current net worth and assuming he has 106 children, each of his offspring would inherit about $131 million. "I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death," he said in the interview. Durov added in the interview that he follows a rigorous daily workout regimen that includes 300 push-ups followed by 300 squats. He said he doesn't consume alcohol, coffee or tea, avoids sugar and is not a smoker. French authorities have charged Durov, alleging Telegram is used for criminal purposes, including the propagation of child sexual abuse material and for drug trafficking. Durov has denied the charges. He told Le Point that he believes the charges are "absurd." "Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals," he told the magazine. SpaceX Starship upper stage blows up Hurricane Erick approaches Mexico with destructive winds, major storm surge Iranians evacuate capital Tehran, some say the regime is frightened
CBS News
7 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Telegram founder and billionaire Pavel Durov plans to leave fortune to his 100-plus children
Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, a messaging app, has fathered more than 100 children, all of whom will share in the inheritance of his multi-billion-dollar fortune, he told French magazine Le Point in a wide-ranging interview published Thursday. Durov, who told the magazine that he recently drafted his will, said that his children will inherit his fortune, but not for 30 years from today. He is worth $13.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Durov didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS MoneyWatch. "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 told the publication. Durov, who is 40, added that he has six children who were conceived naturally with three different partners, plus at least another 100, whom he's fathered through sperm donations. "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," he told Le Point. Durov made clear that his children "will all have the same rights." Based on his current net worth and assuming he has 106 children, each of his offspring would inherit about $131 million. "I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death," he said in the interview. Durov added in the interview that he follows a rigorous daily workout regimen that includes 300 push-ups followed by 300 squats. He said he doesn't consume alcohol, coffee or tea, avoids sugar and is not a smoker. French authorities have charged Durov, alleging Telegram is used for criminal purposes, including the propagation of child sexual abuse material and for drug trafficking. Durov has denied the charges. He told Le Point that he believes the charges are "absurd." "Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals," he told the magazine.
