Telegram founder to divide £10bn fortune among 'more than 100 children' he fathered to avoid inheritance 'fights'
20 June 2025, 09:11
The boss of instant messaging app Telegram says he will leave his £10.3bn fortune to the more than 100 children he has fathered.
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Pavel Durov said: "They are all my children and will all have the same rights! I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death."
Mr Durov claims he is the "official father" of six children with three different partners but has more than 100 other children after donating sperm to a fertility clinic.
He says he will share his estimated $13.9bn (£10.3bn) fortune.
The Telegram boss also denies any wrongdoing in connection with serious criminal charges he faces in France.
Mr Durov, a self-exiled Russian technology tycoon, told French magazine Le Point that his offspring would not have access to their inheritance for 30 years.
He said: "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."
The tech boss, 40, said he has written a will because his career "involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states".
The Telegram app is known for its focus on privacy and encrypted messaging - with more than a billion monthly active users.
Mr Durov was arrested last year after being accused of failing to properly moderate the app to reduce criminality.
The founder has denied failing to work with law enforcement over drug trafficking, child sexual abuse content and fraud.
Telegram has previously denied having insufficient moderation.
Mr Durov called the charges "totally absurd" in the interview with Le Point.
He added: "Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals."
