Telegram's Pavel Durov offers to cover IVF costs for women using his sperm, says kids will inherit wealth

Pavel Durov has said his involvement in sperm donation began in 2010, when he agreed to help a friend who was struggling to conceive.

Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder of messaging platform Telegram, said he would cover the full cost of in vitro fertilisation for women under the age of 37 who choose to conceive using his donated sperm, adding that all of his biological children would be entitled to inherit a portion of his estate in the future.

Durov, 41, whose net worth has been estimated at close to $17 billion, made the remarks while discussing his views on sperm donation and parenthood in public interviews. He said he made no distinction between children conceived through long-term relationships and those born using his genetic material through fertility clinics.

“As long as they can establish their shared DNA with me, someday maybe in 30 years from now, they will be entitled to a share of my estate after I’m gone,” Durov said during an appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast in October.

In a separate interview with French magazine Le Point, he reiterated this position, stating, “I make no difference between my children.”

Durovhas previously said that he has fathered six children with three partners. He has also claimed that his sperm donations have resulted in the birth of more than 100 children across multiple countries, according to a report by the New York Post.

He has described sperm donation as a social responsibility and has argued that global fertility trends justify greater openness around the practice. Durov has publicly linked declining sperm counts and rising infertility rates to environmental issues, including plastic pollution, and has said he considers his role as a donor to be part of addressing that challenge.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Durov’s sperm has attracted significant interest at fertility clinics. The report said that dozens of women responded last year to an advertisement at Moscow’s Altravita Clinic, which offered access to his sperm at no cost.

The clinic reportedly described Durov as having “high genetic compatibility” and confirmed that he would fund IVF treatment for unmarried women under 37 who used his donated samples. While Durov no longer donates actively, the clinic has said that previously collected samples remain in storage. Access is reportedly limited to unmarried women to avoid potential legal complications.

Durov has said his involvement in sperm donation began in 2010, when he agreed to help a friend who was struggling to conceive. He continued donating after fertility specialists informed him of a shortage of suitable donor material.

In a Telegram post published in July 2024, Durov confirmed that his sperm was “still available” and said he intended to make his genetic data accessible so that his biological children could identify one another.

“My past donating activities has helped over a hundred couples in 12 countries to have kids,” he wrote, adding, “Of course there are risks, but I don’t regret having been a donor.”

He also said: “The shortage of healthy sperm has become an increasingly serious issue worldwide, and I’m proud that I did my part to help alleviate it.”