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Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram messaging app, has announced that he will distribute his estimated $13.9 billion (£10.3 billion) fortune equally among his six biological children and over 100 children born through his sperm donations. This was reported by BBC News on Friday, June 20.
In an interview with French political magazine Le Point, Durov stated, “They are all my children, and they will have equal rights. I don’t want them to fight each other after my death.” He confirmed being the legal father of six children with three different partners. Additionally, he claimed that a clinic where he began donating sperm 15 years ago to help a friend informed him that more than 100 children were born in 12 countries through his donations.
The 40-year-old Russian entrepreneur, now residing in Dubai, said his children will not access their inheritance until they turn 30. He wants them to live ordinary lives, build their own paths, and remain independent of their bank accounts. Durov has already prepared a will to ensure this.
Telegram, known for its privacy and encrypted messaging, boasts over 1 billion monthly active users. However, Durov faced legal issues in France, where he was arrested last year for allegedly failing to moderate criminal content on the app. He denied accusations of non-cooperation with law enforcement on issues like drug trafficking, child sexual abuse material, and fraud, stating, “Just because criminals use our messaging service doesn’t make us criminals.”
Durov, who holds dual citizenship of France and the United Arab Emirates, founded Telegram in 2013. While popular in Russia, the app has been criticized for enabling the spread of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and illegal content due to its ability to host groups with up to 200,000 members. In the UK, Telegram faced backlash last summer for hosting far-right channels linked to organizing violent unrest in English cities. Cybersecurity experts note that Telegram’s content moderation is significantly weaker compared to other social media platforms or messaging apps.
AI/MR
