Telegram tycoon Pavel Durov reveals staggering number of children – and they’re all heirs to his billion-dollar fortune

The founder of the instant messaging app said he reached this eye-watering number of youngsters through donating sperm to a fertility clinic.

The Russian billionaire, 40, is the "official father" of six children with three different partners, but told French political magazine Le Point: "All my children will all have the same rights! I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death."

However, the entrepreneur added that his offspring will not be able to access their lucrative inheritance for 30 years.

"I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account," he said.

Mr Durov also denied any wrongdoing in connection with serious criminal charges he faces in France, describing the accusations as "totally absurd".

His fortune was built through Telegram, known for its focus on privacy and encrypted messaging, which has more than a billion monthly users.

Read more: Two e-scooter riding pro-Palestine activists breach RAF Brize Norton and sabotage two military jets

Read more: Schoolgirl Ava White's killer named and pictured for first time as he turns 18

In August last year, Mr Durov was arrested and placed under formal investigation as part of a probe into organised crime on the messaging app he founded.

He was detained in Paris for the rest of 2024 while police carried out their inquiries and was only allowed to leave the country for the first time in March this year.

Officials have now allowed him to live in Dubai for a maximum of two weeks at a time.

The self-exiled tycoon says he has already written his will because his job "involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states".

Mr Durov denies failing to cooperate with law enforcement over drug trafficking, child sexual abuse content and fraud.

"Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals," he added.

Telegram has previously denied having insufficient moderation.