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Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Durov divvies-up his billions for his kids
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has announced plans to leave his fortune to the more than 100 children he has fathered. However, they won't have access to their inheritance until 30 years from now, the Russian-born entrepreneur told French newspaper Le Point on Wednesday. Durov, who holds Russian, French, UAE, and St. Kitts and Nevis passports, said he is the official father of six children with three different partners – though he added that he has fathered over 100 children in 12 countries through sperm donation. 'I recently wrote my will... I decided that my children will not have access to my fortune until thirty years have passed, starting today,' the 40-year-old told the outlet. He said he wants his children 'to live like normal people, to build themselves up on their own, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create – not to be dependent on a bank account.' His fortune currently stands at $17.1 billion, according to Forbes, which puts him at number 133 among the world's richest people. Last year, Telegram – which has over a billion active users – posted a record $540 million in profit, marking a sharp turnaround from a $173 million loss the previous year. Durov added that he makes no distinction between his children, saying those who were conceived naturally and those who came from his sperm donations 'will all have the same rights.' He noted that his work involves risks, and that 'defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states.' He added that he wants to protect his children and the company he created. 'I want Telegram to always remain true to the values I stand for,' Durov said. He stated that a nonprofit foundation would take over Telegram's management in the event of his 'disappearance,' adding that the main goal is to ensure the platform remains independent while respecting privacy and freedom of speech. Durov stressed that he remains Telegram's sole shareholder, owning 100% of the company, 'the only way to guarantee Telegram's complete independence.' Last year, Durov was arrested in France and placed under judicial supervision over alleged complicity in crimes linked to Telegram users. The entrepreneur, whose company is based in Dubai, was released on €5 million ($5.46 million) bail and was temporarily allowed to leave France in mid-March with judicial approval.
Yahoo
10 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
Yahoo
13 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
14 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.
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Russian tech billionaire claims to have fathered 100 children
As birth rates around the world tumble, one Russian technology tycoon is doing his best to reverse the trend. Pavel Durov, the entrepreneur behind controversial messaging app Telegram claims he has fathered more than 100 children and has promised to split his fortune between them equally when he dies. Mr Durov, the 40-year-old social media and cryptocurrency entrepreneur, said he would divide his estimated $14bn (£10bn) wealth between his biological children and dozens of others conceived through sperm donations. Mr Durov has six children by three partners but has fathered many more through donations. Mr Durov said in a rare interview he had recently written a will that would provide $170m to each of his children. 'I wrote my will very recently,' he told France's Le Point magazine. 'I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has elapsed. '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. '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. They are all my children and will all have the same rights.' Mr Durov has previously said he had been donating sperm for 15 years and is now the father of 100 children in 12 countries. Last year, a clinic in Moscow began advertising its supply of Mr Durov's sperm and offering free IVF for women willing to have a child with 'one of the most famous and successful entrepreneurs of our time'. The AltraVita clinic said: 'Pavel Durov is willing to finance all the IVF protocols that use his sperm. It is a very generous contribution to society from someone who wants to help those dreaming of becoming parents.' Mr Durov's 100 children rank him among the world's top sperm donors, though he is not the most prolific. Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a Dutch YouTuber, reportedly fathered 1,000 children, according to Netflix, although he insists it is only 550. Mr Durov is not the only technology entrepreneur to advocate having a large number of children. Elon Musk is reported to have at least 14 children, who he has referred to as his 'legion' and has pushed 'smart people' to have more offspring. 'A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilisation faces by far,' Mr Musk said in 2022. In the US, a 'pro-natalist' movement has emerged amongst conservatives urging people to have more children in order to tackle declining birth rates. 'I want more babies in the United States of America,' JD Vance said in his first address as vice president in January. Mr Durov founded VKontakte, known as Russia's Facebook, before he left the business and Russia under pressure from the Kremlin in 2014. He later founded Telegram, an encrypted messaging app used by more than 1bn people, as well as a cryptocurrency. Telegram has repeatedly faced criticism for its light-touch content moderation and last year Mr Durov was charged in France with complicity in spreading child abuse online and allowing drug trafficking. He has denied the charges and told Le Point they were 'totally absurd'. Mr Durov runs Telegram, which only has around 50 staff, from Dubai, although since his arrest in France he has been barred from leaving the country. Born in the Soviet Union, he now has French and Emirati citizenship. Despite his vast paper fortune, he is known for his minimalist lifestyle, strict diet and veganism. He told Le Point he did not own a 'house, yacht or private jet', although he enjoyed staying in 'beautiful hotels'. The billionaire is also fitness guru. He told Le Point he begins his day with 300 push-ups and 300 squats and posts videos to his Instagram of his ice baths. His arrest last August at Le Bourget airport fractured a previously friendly relationship with the French state. Mr Durov's French citizenship application was fast-tracked by Emmanuel Macron, an active Telegram user, who had previously personally spoken with the billionaire over the app. Speaking to Le Point, Mr Durov said he was 'interrogated relentlessly' for four days after his arrest and left in a small cell on a concrete bed, which was kept constantly lit. He said he had been 'very disappointed' with Mr Macron's leadership and described France as a 'Potemkin village'.
