Telegram CEO and billionaire Pavel Durov shared on Thursday that he intends to treat all of his more than 100 children equally when it comes to inheritance, regardless of how they were conceived. “I want to specify that I make no difference between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations. 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,” Durov told French magazine Le Point.
Many of Durov’s children were born through anonymous sperm donations, and he confirmed that he has officially fathered six children with three different partners. However, through his sperm clinic, he has reportedly fathered over 100 children across 12 countries.
In the wide-ranging interview, which also touched on his 2024 arrest, Durov, 40, said family plays a central role in his life and that he has already begun drafting his will. “I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has elapsed, starting from today,” he explained. “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.”
Durov, who founded Telegram, also underscored his commitment to his personal principles and to the company’s future. “My work involves risks – defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states. I want to protect my children, but also the company I created, Telegram. I want Telegram to forever remain faithful to the values I defend,” he said.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Durov’s net worth stands at approximately $13.9 billion as of June 19.
He emphasized that Telegram’s mission includes maintaining political neutrality and promoting access to independent information. “Telegram is a platform where opposing ideas can clash, where everyone can access different points of view and freely decide what they want to believe,” Durov told Le Point, adding that the app has a “duty of neutrality” on issues such as the war in Ukraine and beyond.
Durov was arrested in Paris in August following accusations that Telegram had been used to facilitate illegal activities, including drug trafficking and the spread of child sexual abuse material, according to the Associated Press.
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