The tech mogul behind the messaging app Telegram has revealed he has fathered over 100 children and has provided details on the inheritance they will receive from his wealth.
In a world where staying connected is paramount, Telegram emerged in 2013 as a fresh communication platform.
Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov developed the app, which facilitates communication through its cloud-based, cross-platform messaging service.
Though it may not rival giants like Facebook or WhatsApp in popularity, Telegram remains widely used, particularly in India and Russia.
While Durov’s app has brought him immense wealth, it’s his personal life that has captured attention.
The Telegram founder has disclosed that he has fathered more than 100 children, with an intriguing story behind it.
Durov has differentiated his offspring into two groups, stating he is the ‘official father’ of six children with three women. Additionally, he revealed he has over 100 children through sperm donation.
Speaking to the French magazine, Le Point, Durov explained: “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.”
He disclosed that a clinic where he started donating sperm 15 years ago to assist a friend informed him that ‘more than 100 babies have been conceived this way in 12 countries’.
At 40, Durov, whose net worth is estimated at $13.9 billion, mentioned that all of his children would share his wealth equally.
This implies that each of the over 100 children would inherit approximately one hundred and thirty-nine million dollars from his estate.
“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 stated.
Although some might find it unusual that Durov has already prepared his affairs, he explained that his role ‘involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states’, prompting him to preemptively draft his will.
Telegram and Durov have faced scrutiny recently, as he was arrested in France last year on criminal charges, accused of failing to moderate the app to curb criminal activity.
Telegram refuted claims of inadequate chat moderation, and Durov called the charges ‘totally absurd’.
He stated, “Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn’t make those who run it criminals.”
Durov argued that in 2014, he was dismissed from his Russian social media company, VKontakte, for refusing the Kremlin’s demands to censor posts.
Currently, the businessman resides in Dubai and has dual citizenship in Dubai and France.
The outcome of his legal issues remains uncertain, with no recent updates available.