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06/20/2025

Pavel Durov – Telegram Founder Writes Will to "Split Assets Equally Among 100+ Children," Vows He Will Never Sell Telegram

From prodigy programmer to founder of the world's largest messaging app, Pavel Durov — Russia's "Mark Zuckerberg" — is living through an extraordinary chapter. He is currently barred from leaving France amid charges related to content moderation on Telegram, yet he is speaking more openly than ever about his convictions on freedom, neutrality, and uncompromising independence. In a lengthy interview with French magazine Le Point, Durov opened up about deeply personal aspects of his life that he has never shared before —

Pavel Durov – Telegram Founder Writes Will to "Split Assets Equally Among 100+ Children," Vows He Will Never Sell Telegram

From prodigy programmer to founder of the world's largest messaging app, Pavel Durov — Russia's "Mark Zuckerberg" — is living through an extraordinary chapter. He is currently barred from leaving France amid charges related to content moderation on Telegram, yet he is speaking more openly than ever about his convictions on freedom, neutrality, and uncompromising independence.

In a lengthy interview with French magazine Le Point, Durov opened up about deeply personal aspects of his life that he has never shared before — from his ideals around privacy protection and his relationships with world leaders, to his disciplined lifestyle and... his will dividing his estate among more than 100 children.

🔐 Not Selling Telegram — "Because It's a Promise, Not an Asset"

Pavel Durov says that Telegram — which now has more than 900 million users worldwide — has never been his primary source of income. In fact, he says he has never drawn a salary or dividends from Telegram. The money that funds both the platform and his personal life comes from investments in Bitcoin he made back in 2013.

"I turned down a $1 billion acquisition offer from Google in 2017, because Telegram is not for sale. It's a promise to users: independence, privacy, and freedom."

He currently holds 100% of Telegram's shares, and should anything happen to him, Telegram will be transferred to a nonprofit foundation to ensure it continues operating independently and free from outside influence.

⚖️ The Battle Against Governments and Global Surveillance

Durov says he was pressured by Russian authorities to hand over user data during his time running VKontakte — Russia's largest social network. He refused, sold his stake, and left Russia. Since then, he has held firm on his refusal to cooperate with politically motivated censorship demands from any government.

Even while banned from leaving France amid an investigation into Telegram being exploited by criminal groups, Durov pushed back:

"The fact that someone uses a platform to do something harmful doesn't make me a criminal. Governments should do their job — investigate, prosecute — not blame a neutral platform."

👨‍👧‍👦 A Will That Splits Everything Equally Among 100+ Children

At 40, Durov has drawn up a will with an unusual provision: splitting his estate among both his 6 biological children and more than 100 other children born from sperm he donated to a clinic over the past 15 years.

"I make no distinction between my biological children and those born through donation. They are all my children, and I want to treat them equally."

Notably, he requires that none of his children may receive any inheritance until at least 30 years after the date the will was written. He wants them to live, grow up, and learn self-sufficiency without relying on banks or passive wealth.

💪 A "Digital Ascetic" Lifestyle

Pavel Durov is known for iron discipline. He doesn't drink coffee or alcohol, doesn't smoke, avoids sugar, and starts every morning with 300 push-ups and 300 squats back to back.

"I don't carry a phone or use personal social media. I prefer reading, writing, and reflection."

He also expressed concern about microplastics and their potential effects on male fertility and human health more broadly.

💡 On AI, Zuckerberg, Musk, and ChatGPT

Durov believes current AI models like ChatGPT are merely "mimicking" complex language and are not genuinely "understanding" or "thinking." He revealed that his brother, Nikolai Durov, is developing an AI model with true logical reasoning capabilities.

On the industry's major players:

  • Zuckerberg: Capable, but lacks core values.
  • Musk: Driven by emotion, but powerful thanks to his courage.
  • Altman (OpenAI): "Skilled at building coalitions, but it's unclear whether he still has the technical depth now that his founding partners are gone."

✊ A Final Message: "Freedom Cannot Be Protected Only Halfway"

Durov concluded:

"Today it may be bad actors getting censored, but tomorrow it could be you. Once censorship is legitimized, it doesn't stop."

Under Pavel Durov's leadership, Telegram is more than an app — it is a symbol of the fight for freedom on the internet. And at 40, this Russian-born founder is still keeping his promise: no selling out, no compromising, no stopping.