Pavel Durov, the owner of Telegram, who was arrested near Paris yesterday, is only 39 years old but is already a billionaire. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at around $15.5 billion.
He made his fortune mainly through the Telegram app, which has around 900 million users.
Who is Pavel Durov, the Arrested Founder of Telegram: The Russian Billionaire with French Citizenship
Pavel Durov, the owner of Telegram, who was arrested near Paris yesterday, is only 39 years old but is already a billionaire. According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated at around $15.5 billion.
He made his fortune mainly through the Telegram app, which has around 900 million users.
Pavel Durov is also of interest to the public because of his background. He was born in Russia, lives in Dubai, where Telegram’s headquarters are located, and in addition to being a Russian citizen, he also holds French citizenship, where he is currently detained.
The Russian Embassy reacted immediately after his arrest, although Durov is said not to have sought assistance or any response from the embassy.
What many are now asking is—who is Pavel Durov? While most people might not have heard of him until now, almost everyone knows about his app.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov was born in Russia, lives in Dubai, and is currently 39 years old. Some media also claim that besides Russian and French citizenship, he may also hold citizenship from the United Arab Emirates.
Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to shut down opposition communities on his social media platform, which he later sold.
Durov and his brother Nikolai founded the messaging app in 2013, and it has around 900 million active users.
An interesting detail that has recently surfaced is that, according to HuffPost Money, in 2012, Durov was throwing paper airplanes made from 5,000 ruble banknotes out of his office window. In total, he threw $2,000 in cash into a crowd of people in downtown St. Petersburg, which led to a scramble among people grabbing the money.
What is Telegram?
Telegram offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, and users can also create “channels” to quickly spread information to their followers.
Due to its enhanced security features, there are concerns that this platform might be misused.
In May, EU technology regulators said they were in contact with Telegram as the app approached a key usage criterion that could subject it to stricter demands under the new EU legislation on online content.
“I’d rather be free than take orders from anyone,” Durov told American journalist Tucker Carlson in April, referring to his departure from Russia and the search for headquarters for his company, which included operations in Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.
Durov was arrested after landing at Burj airport from Azerbaijan on a private jet. He was accompanied by bodyguards and his wife.
French judicial authorities believe that due to a lack of cooperation with investigative authorities and the tools provided by the Telegram platform, Durov is responsible for several criminal activities.
“Pavel Durov will end up in pre-trial detention, that is certain,” said an investigator to TF1/LCI. “On his platform, he allowed countless crimes and offenses and did nothing to moderate or cooperate with them,” added a source close to the investigation.
Telegram is popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other former USSR countries. According to Reuters, this app is becoming a key source of information for the war in Ukraine and is widely used by officials from both Moscow and Kiev. Some analysts call the app a “virtual battlefield” for the conflict.
Even in Serbia, the app was popular at one time because it is believed to offer better privacy compared to similar apps like WhatsApp and Viber.
According to French media, Durov was also sought after being suspected of using the Telegram platform for drug trafficking, child pornography, and various frauds.
Pavel Durov’s arrest highlights the troubling reality that even as he promotes Telegram as a secure communication platform, he seems to have neglected his responsibility to curb its misuse for criminal activities, revealing a stark disconnect between his wealth and ethical accountability.
