Telegram Founder Durov Made A Will And Revealed Its Contents

More than a hundred of Paul's children would not receive his inheritance until 30 years later.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said that he recently made a will due to the risks associated with work. The businessman said this in an interview with Le Point. He is 40 years old.

"Because of the defense of freedoms, there are a lot of enemies, including in powerful nations. I want to protect my children as well as the Telegram company I founded. I want Telegram to forever remain true to the values I stand for," Durov said.

The businessman said that in the event of a "disappearance," a nonprofit foundation will take over management of the messenger, while Durov's own goal is to "ensure the continuity of the platform: I want it to continue to exist independently, respecting privacy and freedom of speech."

Durov revealed that the will was only recently drafted, and according to the document, the children will not have access to the fortune "until the expiration of the thirty-year period beginning today." He explained that he wished his children to "live like normal people," so that they would learn to trust each other and build their lives independently, and "be able to create rather than depend on a bank account."

"I want to make it clear that I make no distinction between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who were born as a result of sperm donation. They are all my children, and they will all have the same rights. I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death," Durov added.

The entrepreneur said he has six official children from three partners, and sperm donation has resulted in the birth of more than 100 children in 12 countries.

Durov said he remains Telegram's sole shareholder and owns 100 percent of the company. In his words, this is "the only way to guarantee Telegram's full independence." "I learned a lesson from the history of VKontakte. As soon as you share control, you lose freedom," he explained.

Durov's wealth is estimated by Forbes at $17.1 billion, he is 134th on the list of the richest people on the planet and eighth among Russian businessmen (he does not consider himself a Russian entrepreneur). In 2024, Telegram received its first annual profit, it amounted to $540 million.

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