Russian-born businessman Pavel Durov has had a long history of controversies. Pavel has started a very popular social networking site as well as a cryptocurrency. 39-year-old Pavel was once also called the “Russian Zuckerberg”. Now he has been arrested in France after being sensationally detained at Paris airport. After this he is in the news. A warrant was issued against Durov for alleged crimes committed on Telegram. This includes fraud to drug trafficking, cyberbullying and promoting organized crime, terrorism and fraud. The cyber unit of the French gendarmerie and the National Anti-Fraud Office are investigating the matter. According to sources related to the case, he was in police custody on Sunday as well.
Who is Pavel Durov
At just 20 years old, St. Petersburg native Pavel founded the VKontakte (VK) social network in 2006 after graduating from St. Petersburg University. He became famous throughout Russia after this. The site was designed for the needs of Russian-language users and surpassed Facebook in popularity throughout the then USSR. However, after disputes and ownership battles with Russian authorities, he sold VKontakte and created a new messaging app called Telegram.
Setting up Telegram
In 2013, Durov started the Telegram messaging app with his brother Nikolai. He settled in Dubai and acquired citizenship of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis. He acquired French citizenship in August 2021 following a low-profile process.
He is always seen in black clothes
Durov, who describes himself as a libertarian, has supported privacy on the Internet and encryption in messaging. Durov has avoided traditional media interviews but in April he spoke with American journalist Tucker Carlson. Durov told Carlson that people like freedom. They also like privacy. There are many reasons why someone would switch to Telegram. He also does not shy away from posting messages on his Telegram channel claiming that he leads a solitary life. He abstains from meat, alcohol and even coffee. He is always seen in black clothes.
100 children claim to own $15.5 billion worth of property
In July, he claimed to have donated his sperm in a dozen countries, making him the biological father of more than 100 children. He describes it as a “civic duty” to parenting. This is in line with the views of his fellow tech mogul X and Tesla chief Elon Musk. According to Forbes, Durov is currently worth $15.5 billion.
