The founder and CEO of the instant messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov, has announced plans to bequeath his substantial fortune to his more than 100 children.
In an interview with French political magazine Le Point published Thursday, the 40-year-old Russian-born tech magnate revealed that his estate would be equally divided among his six biological children and scores of others conceived through his sperm donations.
Durov, who recently drafted his will, emphasised that he makes no distinction between his children, regardless of how they were conceived.
“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 stated.
He had previously disclosed the number of children he fathered via sperm donation on social media last year, explaining that a doctor advised him it was his “civic duty” to donate his “high-quality donor material,” a practice he undertook for 15 years.
Despite Bloomberg estimating his net worth at $13.9 billion, Durov dismissed these figures as “theoretical,” clarifying that his liquid assets are considerably lower and derive from his 2013 Bitcoin investments, not Telegram.
His children, however, will have to wait for their inheritance.
Durov has stipulated that they will not access his fortune for 30 years, starting from today.
“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 explained.
When asked about the timing of his will, Durov, who resides in Dubai, cited the inherent risks of his work. “My work involves risks—defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states,” he said.
He expressed a desire to protect both his children and Telegram, ensuring the company remains “faithful to the values I defend.”
Telegram, boasting over a billion monthly users, is known for its strong encryption and minimal oversight of user content.
Last year, Durov was arrested in Paris on charges related to allegations that his platform facilitated money laundering, drug trafficking, and the spread of child pornography.
As Telegram’s sole shareholder, Durov has vehemently denied these “absurd” charges, asserting, “Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn’t make those who run it criminals.”
