Telegram CEO: "Will Divide 23 Trillion Won Fortune Equally Among 106 Children"

Only Six Children Born Within Official Marriages
The Rest Were Born Through Sperm Donation

Pavel Durov, Co-founder and CEO of Telegram. Photo by AFP

Pavel Durov, co-founder and CEO of the anonymous chat platform Telegram, has announced that he will divide his fortune, worth approximately 23 trillion won, equally among his 106 children.

In an interview published on June 19 (local time) with the French weekly magazine Le Point, Durov stated that he would distribute his wealth of $17 billion (about 23 trillion won) equally to his children.

He emphasized, "I want to make it clear that I do not discriminate among my children," adding, "Children born naturally and those born through sperm donation are all my children, and all will have the same rights."

Durov is officially married to three women and has six children, but he has also acted as a sperm donor in 12 countries around the world, fathering approximately 100 additional children. However, he set a condition that inheritance will only be possible after June 19, 2055, which is 30 years from now, and only after each child turns 30 years old.

Durov said, "I want them to live like ordinary people. I hope they grow up independently and build their own lives," adding, "I do not want them to become people who rely on a bank account."

In the interview, Durov also addressed suspicions that he is close to Vladimir Putin's Russian regime. He said, "I have met a high-ranking Russian official only once, in 2013," and added, "I have not set foot in Moscow for more than 10 years."

Born in Russia and also a French citizen, Durov was once in contact with French President Emmanuel Macron. He revealed that he had communicated with President Macron via Telegram "for a long time," and said, "The last time we were in contact was on the day my comments about the Romanian election were made public."

On May 18, the day of the Romanian presidential election, Durov claimed on his Telegram channel that "a Western European country" had requested him to suppress conservative-leaning public opinion ahead of the Romanian election, and he hinted that the country in question was France.

Durov stated that after his remarks, President Macron sent him a message, but "I did not reply." He said he does not plan to meet President Macron in the future, adding, "I am very disappointed. France is becoming weaker and weaker," and pointed out, "There is an obsession with communication, but real power is proven, not just for show."

On August 24 last year, Durov was arrested by local investigative authorities at Le Bourget Airport on the outskirts of Paris, France. He was later preliminarily indicted on charges including effectively colluding by neglecting to prevent the distribution of child pornography, drug trafficking, organized fraud, and money laundering on Telegram, as well as refusing to comply with information requests from investigative authorities. He was released on bail on the condition of paying 5 million euros (about 7.4 billion won).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.