In a revelation that has stunned both the tech world and public observers, Telegram founder and chief executive Pavel Durov disclosed that he intends to leave his entire $13.9 billion fortune to more than 100 children he considers his own.
In an interview with French magazine Le Point, cited in a report by Bloomberg, the 40-year-old tech magnate explained the details of his highly unconventional will and legacy plan. Durov stated that while he is the biological father of six children with three different partners, he regards a much larger number of children—conceived via his sperm donations over the past fifteen years—as his legitimate heirs.
“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,” Durov said. “They are all my children and will all have the same rights.”
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Durov’s net worth is currently valued at $13.9 billion. Despite expressing equal recognition of all his offspring, Durov has made it clear that the wealth will not be immediately accessible. “I wrote my will very recently,” he said. “I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of thirty years has elapsed, starting from today.”
Durov, who has cultivated an enigmatic and ascetic public persona, is best known for co-founding Telegram, one of the world’s most widely used messaging platforms with over one billion active users. He is also known for his minimalist lifestyle and extreme discipline. In the same Le Point interview, he revealed that his daily routine includes 300 push-ups and 300 squats, and that he abstains from alcohol, coffee, and tea. He regularly shares glimpses of his lifestyle with his 11.1 million followers on Telegram.
While widely admired for his technological innovation and refusal to compromise user privacy, Durov has also faced significant legal scrutiny. According to Bloomberg, French authorities filed charges against him last year, alleging complicity in criminal activities facilitated through the Telegram platform. Durov has denied any wrongdoing.
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