He remains a mystery figure with multiple nationalities. Here is everything we know about the Telegram tech tycoon.
Once dubbed the “Russian Zuckerberg,” tech entrepreneur Pavel Durov made a name for himself as the founder of several highly popular social networks and a cryptocurrency.
The 39-year-old has gotten into trouble with authorities in Russia and around the world, and this weekend he was arrested at an airport near Paris over allegations related to his messaging app Telegram, according to French media, citing unnamed sources.
French investigators issued a warrant for his arrest for allegations of cyberbullying, fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime and promotion of terrorism on his platform.
Here is everything you need to know about the Russian-born social media magnate.
The first social enterprise
The entrepreneur was born in Saint Petersburg and is two months away from celebrating his 40th birthday.
At the age of 22, he launched his first social media, VKontakte (VK), a platform catering to Russian-language users, which turned out to be more popular than Facebook in his native Russia.
But he left the country in 2014 after he refused to accept government demands to shut down opposition groups on VK and hand over personal data to Russia’s security services, the FSB. This included a demand to block the account of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
He later sold VK, posting, “So long and thanks for all the fish”, a reference to the sci-fi novel “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”.
“I would rather be free than to take orders from anyone,” Durov told US journalist Tucker Carlson in April about his exit from Russia.
In the same interview, he also said that he had no property, such as real estate or boats, and that his only assets were money and Bitcoin.
Telegram
In 2013, with his brother Nikolai, he launched Telegram, a free-to-use platform that claims to prioritise user data protection and competes with other social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
The service allows anyone to follow user videos, pictures, and comments on so-called “channels” or groups, but user data is protected with encryption. There are also private “channels” that give the group admin the right to verify who can see their posts.
Durov has always refused to moderate messages on Telegram, promoting it as a “free” platform.
In 2018, a Moscow court ordered the blocking of Telegram. But it proved unsuccessful as protesters surrounded the FSB headquarters, throwing paper planes, a symbol of Telegram.
Russia gave up on its plan to block Telegram, and the government also uses the app.
ADVERTISEMENTTelegram is used by opposition groups around the world, who do not want their data or messages compromised. It has been a key information platform in Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine for both sides of the war.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy uses Telegram to post videos to citizens about the war every day, and pro-Moscow channels run by so-called “Z-bloggers” are also popular.
However, Telegram has also become a platform for extremists and conspiracy theorists. The groups, which allow up to 200,000 members, have made it easier for disinformation to spread and include neo-Nazi groups and groups for paedophiles.
Durov’s personal life
After leaving Russia, Durov received citizenship on the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis after he donated $250,000 (€223,000) to the nation’s sugar industry, according to Russian media reports.
ADVERTISEMENTIn August 2021, he was granted French citizenship, which Durov said he applied for as a joke after his assistant told him to apply with the name “Paul Du Rov”. The circumstances of his obtaining the French passport remain a mystery, and French authorities have never commented on it.
He also has Emirati citizenship and lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based.
Durov is estimated to have a net worth of about $15.5 billion (€14 billion), according to Forbes, making him the world’s 121st wealthiest person.
Always dressed in black, Durov is a bit of a mysterious figure and rarely gives interviews.
ADVERTISEMENTHowever, he posts on his Telegram channel that he leads a solitary life and does not consume meat, alcohol, or coffee.
He also claimed that he is the biological father of more than 100 children thanks to his sperm donations in a dozen countries, describing this as a “civic duty”.
Why was he arrested?
French investigators issued a warrant for his arrest for allegations of cyberbullying, fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime, and promotion of terrorism on his platform. He is accused of failing to take action to prevent criminal use of his platform.
“Enough of Telegram’s impunity,” said one investigator, according to The Guardian, who also said they were surprised that Durov flew to Paris knowing he was a wanted man.
ADVERTISEMENTDurov has said in the past that Telegram responds to every request to remove content calling for violence or murder.
“Telegram abides by EU laws, including the Digital Services Act – its moderation is within industry standards and constantly improving,” Telegram said in a statement on Sunday evening.
“Telegram’s CEO Pavel Durov has nothing to hide and travels frequently in Europe. It is absurd to claim that a platform or its owner are responsible for abuse of that platform. We’re awaiting a prompt resolution of this situation”.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities accused France of “refusing to cooperate.” The Russian embassy in Paris has asked for access to Durov and said France has so far “avoided engagement” in the situation.
ADVERTISEMENTHis detention period has been extended past Sunday, The Guardian said citing a source close to the investigation, which means the initial period for questioning can last up to 96 hours. The judge can then decide to free him or press charges and remand in custody.