Pavel Durov

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Valeryevich and the family name is Durov.

Pavel Durov
Павел Дуров
Durov in 2012
Born (1984-10-10) 10 October 1984 (age 39)
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Other namesPaul du Rove[a]
Citizenship
  • Soviet Union (until 1991)
  • Russia (since 1991)
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis (since 2013)
  • United Arab Emirates (since 2021)
  • France (since 2021)
EducationSaint Petersburg State University (BA)
Known forCo-founding of VK and Telegram
Title
  • CEO of VK (2006–2014)
  • CEO of Telegram (2013–present)
Children5[2][3][4]
FatherValery Durov
RelativesNikolai Durov (brother)
Websitetelegram.org

Pavel Valeryevich Durov (Russian: Па́вел Вале́рьевич Ду́ров; born 10 October 1984) is a Russian business executive and entrepreneur serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Telegram since 2013.

Along with his brother Nikolai Durov, he founded the social network VK in 2006, which quickly became the most popular social network in Russia. In 2014, after a conflict with the new owners of the company and pressure from the Russian authorities, Durov resigned as CEO of VK and left Russia for the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Durov publicly stands for Internet freedom and criticises the establishment that tries to restrict it.[5] He moved to the United Arab Emirates in 2017 and lives in Dubai, where Telegram headquarters are located. In the United Arab Emirates, he focused on the development of Telegram, a messenger he and his older brother created in 2013, which claims a high level of data privacy.[6]

Since 2021, he has held citizenship in four countries: Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United Arab Emirates, and France.

Durov was listed on Forbes's billionaires list in 2023, with a net worth of $11.5 billion. His fortune is largely driven by his ownership of Telegram.[7] As of 25 August 2024, Durov was the 120th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $15.5 billion, according to Forbes.[8] In 2022 he was recognized by Forbes as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates.[9] In February 2023 Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai.[10]

On 24 August 2024 Durov was arrested on criminal charges relating to an alleged lack of content moderation on Telegram and refusal to work with police, which allowed the spread of criminal activity.[11][12]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference LeMonde_mysterious_passport was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Milliardär ist Vater von über 100 Kindern und animiert Männer – was dahintersteckt" (in German). Focus.de. 2 August 2024. Archived from the original on 5 August 2024.
  3. ^ "Дети Павла Дурова впервые вошли в рейтинг богатейших наследников Forbes". Forbes.ru (in Russian). 27 May 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Forbes получил документы о трёх детях Павла Дурова". 3 August 2024. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  5. ^ Mozur, Paul; Satariano, Adam (26 August 2024). "How Telegram's Founder Went From Russia's Mark Zuckerberg to Wanted Man". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  6. ^ "Why Telegram has become the hottest messaging app in the world". The Verge. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Forbes Billionaires 2023: The Richest People In The World". Forbes. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  8. ^ "Forbes Billionaires 2024: The Richest People In The World". Forbes. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  9. ^ "With $15.1B, Pavel Durov Is The Richest And Youngest Billionaire In The Middle East". Forbes Middle East. 17 April 2022. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Dubai 100: Meet the 100 people you need to know in the emirate". Arabian Business. 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 10 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  11. ^ Mackintosh, Thomas; Vernon, Will (24 August 2024). "Telegram CEO Pavel Durov arrested at French airport". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  12. ^ How Telegram’s Founder Went From Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg to Wanted Man Archived 27 August 2024 at the Wayback Machine New York Times, August 26, 2024


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