Controversial Telegram co-founder and billionaire Pavel Durov says he’ll leave a $17 billion fortune to be divided among his children, whom he says there are at least 106 of.
He spoke about it in a recent interview
Speaking with the French outlet Le Point in an interview published on Thursday, June 19, the 40-year-old billionaire shared his decision about the allocation of his fortune.
According to Forbes, Durov is worth around $17.1 billion.
Durov has 100+ kids
Although Durov is a father to six children through natural conception, he says he’s also been a sperm donor for 100-plus kids in 12 countries.
Durov explained that he first became a sperm donor to “help a friend” but details have otherwise stayed anonymous.
He doesn’t see a difference between his kids
Durov said, “I want to specify that I make no difference between my children: There are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations.”
“They are all my children and will all have the same rights!”
But there’s a catch to receiving the inheritance
Durov doesn’t want to make it easy. He explained that after his death, his children won’t have access to their inheritances, until 30 years from the day he gave the interview to Le Point. This would be June 19, 2055.
He wants them to live ‘normally’
“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,” Durov said.
He’s worried about ‘work risks’
Explaining why he would allocate his estate now, the billionaire said it’s because his “work involves risks,” which seems like a reference to the legal issues he’s faced in the past over Telegram.
Although the messaging app is known for its privacy and encryption, this has also created problems with law enforcement over the years since it was founded in 2013.
Durov was recently charged in 2024
According to The New York Times and NBC News, French authorities charged Durov in August 2024, accusing him of allegedly being complicit in running a platform where illegal activity – such as fraud, drug trade, and child sex abuse material – could thrive as a result of its privacy options.
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Durov insists he’s not in the wrong
Although the status of that case is unclear, the billionaire told Le Point, “Nothing has ever been proven showing that I am, even for a second, guilty of anything.”
“Defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states,” he added.
