Pavel Durov is a billionaire social media mogul with out the same old trappings of wealth that he may simply afford.
The 39-year-old, who’s estimated to be value £12 billion, boasts of proudly owning no main private belongings.
Regardless of dwelling within the multi-millionaires’ playground of Dubai, he revealed in a uncommon tv interview earlier this yr that he didn’t personal a home, land, yachts or non-public jets.
He advised US broadcaster Tucker Carlson: ‘I don’t assume this way of life is for me.’ Including: ‘My primary precedence in life is my freedom.’
Durov stated he focuses all his power on Telegram, the social media platform with 950 million customers that he based in 2013 along with his ‘genius’ brother Nikolai.
Born in Russia, Durov spent lots of his childhood years in Italy earlier than returning to his homeland when his father, a scholar in historic Roman literature, landed a brand new job at St Petersburg College.
Pavel Durov (pictured) is a billionaire social media mogul with out the same old trappings of wealth that he may simply afford
Irina Bolgar, 44, (pictured, centre) a Russian girl primarily based in Switzerland, claimed he fathered her daughter and two sons born in 2013, 2016 and 2017
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov delivers his keynote convention throughout day two of the Cell World Congress on the Fira Gran By way of advanced in Barcelona, Spain on February 23, 2016
Each brothers mastered pc code and programming from an early age and Durov arrange VK, dubbed the ‘Fb of Russia’, when he left college at 21.
It shortly grew into the biggest social media firm in Russia and the previous Soviet international locations, however earlier than lengthy he clashed with the authorities.
When he refused to offer information on Ukrainian protestors to Russian safety companies he was successfully pressured to surrender his firm and moved overseas in 2014.
Durov stated the absence of any safe type of communication in Russia gave him the thought for Telegram. His brother created Telegram’s encryption system and the remainder is historical past.
The Russian entrepreneur stated he deserted makes an attempt to settle in Berlin, London and San Francisco due to ‘bureaucratic hurdles’ put in his means and ended up dwelling in Dubai.
He now has twin French and Emirati citizenship and stays the only real proprietor of Telegram.
Folks stroll previous paper planes referring to the brand of the Telegram messaging app, which had been positioned throughout a gathering in help of freedom of expression following the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, close to the French embassy in Moscow, Russia August 25, 2024
Activist Vladislav Mazur takes half in a one-person picket to protest in opposition to the arrest of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, close to the French embassy in Moscow, Russia August 25, 2024
Durov additionally seems to have an equally vibrant private life.
He has posed for images to indicate off his muscular physique, however regardless of his attractiveness and standing he’s believed to be single.
Bizarrely Durov lately claimed in a Telegram submit to be the daddy to greater than 100 youngsters worldwide after turning into a sperm donor.
He’s recognized to have had a daughter and son with ex-partner Daria Bondarenko, now primarily based in Barcelona.
And lately Irina Bolgar, 44, a Russian girl primarily based in Switzerland, claimed he fathered her daughter and two sons born in 2013, 2016 and 2017, insisting they had been ‘conceived and born naturally.’
