Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, has revealed plans to bequeath his entire US$13.9 billion fortune to his more than 100 biological children, conceived both through personal relationships and sperm donations.
The 40-year-old tech entrepreneur confirmed in an interview with French magazine Le Point that he recently finalized his will, ensuring equal inheritance rights for all his offspring, regardless of how they were conceived.
However, the wealth will remain inaccessible to them for the next three decades.
Durov, who has six children with three partners, began donating sperm 15 years ago after a friend sought his help with fertility struggles. Since then, his donations have reportedly led to the birth of over 100 children across 12 countries.
Emphasizing that he makes no distinction between them, Durov stated that they are all his children and deserve the same rights. He also intends to make his DNA publicly available, enabling his biological children to identify one another in the future.
Known for his unconventional lifestyle, Durov adheres to a strict daily regimen of 300 push-ups and 300 squats while abstaining from alcohol, coffee, and tea. His personal quirks, such as posting shirtless Easter greetings to his 11.1 million Telegram subscribers, often draw public attention.
Telegram, which boasts over 1 billion active users, has faced repeated controversy, including accusations from French authorities last year that the platform facilitates criminal activity—a claim Durov has denied.
The Russian-born entrepreneur, who also founded VK (often dubbed the "Russian Facebook"), has long been a contentious figure in debates over free speech and digital privacy. After multiple legal clashes, he relocated Telegram’s headquarters to Dubai in 2017.
Durov’s unprecedented inheritance plan challenges conventional norms of wealth distribution, sparking discussions about ethics, family structures, and the responsibilities of ultra-high-net-worth individuals.
As legal and social scrutiny around his decisions intensifies, the tech mogul continues to defy expectations, solidifying his reputation as one of the industry’s most enigmatic figures.
