Pavel Durov, the enigmatic founder of messaging giant Telegram, has revealed an extraordinary decision: he plans to split his fortune — estimated at over $13.9 billion — equally among more than 100 biological children.
In an interview with French magazine Le Point, Durov emphasized his desire to create a fair inheritance system. “They’re all my children, and they all deserve equal rights,” he stated. Durov confirmed that he has six children with three different partners, and over 100 more via sperm donation across 12 countries.
His will stipulates that his children will only gain access to the inheritance at age 30 — a deliberate move to encourage them to develop independence and self-sufficiency. “I want them to live like normal people, to learn to build a life on their own, without depending on a bank account,” Durov explained.
Meanwhile, Durov is facing legal scrutiny in France, accused of enabling criminal organizations to use Telegram for illegal activities. Charges include allowing content related to drug trafficking, child exploitation, and fraud to circulate on the platform. Durov strongly denies these allegations, calling them "utterly ridiculous" and insisting that the use of a platform by criminals does not implicate its creators.
Beyond his immense fortune and unconventional family, Durov remains a fiercely independent voice in tech — unyielding in his commitment to digital privacy, transparency, and user rights.