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Pavel Durov
Pavel Valeryevich Durov (Russian: Павел Валерьевич Дуров; born 10 October 1984) is a technology entrepreneur. He is best known as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Telegram.
Durov was born in the Soviet Union, and he co-founded the social networking site VKontakte (VK) in 2006. He was forced out of VK in 2014 following disputes with the company's new owners and increased pressure from Russian authorities, which also led him to leave the country. In 2013, he and his older brother, Nikolai Durov, developed Telegram, and in 2017, they moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where its headquarters are now located.
Durov was listed on Forbes's billionaires list in 2023, with an estimated net worth of $13 billion. His fortune is largely driven by his ownership of Telegram. As of 13 March 2026[update], Durov was ranked the 588th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $6.6 billion, according to Forbes. In 2022, he was recognized by Forbes as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates. In February 2023 Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai. Durov publicly stands for Internet freedom and criticizes the establishment that tries to restrict it. Since 2021, he has held citizenship in Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United Arab Emirates, and France.
On 24 August 2024, Durov was arrested by French police on criminal charges relating to an alleged lack of content moderation on Telegram and refusal to work with police, which allegedly allowed the spread of criminal activities.
Pavel Durov was born on 10 October 1984 in Leningrad, then Soviet Union, into a Russian family. His father is Valery Durov, a professor of philology. Pavel Durov and his older brother Nikolai spent most of their childhood in Turin, Italy, where their father was employed.
Between 2002 and 2006, Durov studied English and Translation at Saint Petersburg State University, where his father worked.
Pavel Durov's grandfather Semyon Petrovich Tulyakov fought in World War II. He served in the 65th Infantry Division of the Soviet Red Army, participated in battles on the Leningrad Front at Krasnoborsky and Gatchinsky, and was wounded three times, receiving the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree, and on the 40th Victory Day, the Order of the Great Patriotic War 1st degree.
Durov's father Valery Semenovich Durov is a Doctor of Philological Sciences and the author of academic papers. Since 1992, he has been head of the Department of classical philology of the philological faculty of Saint Petersburg State University. In March 2022 Durov wrote that, "On my Mom's side, I trace my family line from Kyiv. Her maiden name is Ukrainian (Ivanenko), and to this day we have many relatives living in Ukraine."
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Pavel Durov
Pavel Valeryevich Durov (Russian: Павел Валерьевич Дуров; born 10 October 1984) is a technology entrepreneur. He is best known as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Telegram.
Durov was born in the Soviet Union, and he co-founded the social networking site VKontakte (VK) in 2006. He was forced out of VK in 2014 following disputes with the company's new owners and increased pressure from Russian authorities, which also led him to leave the country. In 2013, he and his older brother, Nikolai Durov, developed Telegram, and in 2017, they moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where its headquarters are now located.
Durov was listed on Forbes's billionaires list in 2023, with an estimated net worth of $13 billion. His fortune is largely driven by his ownership of Telegram. As of 13 March 2026[update], Durov was ranked the 588th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $6.6 billion, according to Forbes. In 2022, he was recognized by Forbes as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates. In February 2023 Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai. Durov publicly stands for Internet freedom and criticizes the establishment that tries to restrict it. Since 2021, he has held citizenship in Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United Arab Emirates, and France.
On 24 August 2024, Durov was arrested by French police on criminal charges relating to an alleged lack of content moderation on Telegram and refusal to work with police, which allegedly allowed the spread of criminal activities.
Pavel Durov was born on 10 October 1984 in Leningrad, then Soviet Union, into a Russian family. His father is Valery Durov, a professor of philology. Pavel Durov and his older brother Nikolai spent most of their childhood in Turin, Italy, where their father was employed.
Between 2002 and 2006, Durov studied English and Translation at Saint Petersburg State University, where his father worked.
Pavel Durov's grandfather Semyon Petrovich Tulyakov fought in World War II. He served in the 65th Infantry Division of the Soviet Red Army, participated in battles on the Leningrad Front at Krasnoborsky and Gatchinsky, and was wounded three times, receiving the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd degree, and on the 40th Victory Day, the Order of the Great Patriotic War 1st degree.
Durov's father Valery Semenovich Durov is a Doctor of Philological Sciences and the author of academic papers. Since 1992, he has been head of the Department of classical philology of the philological faculty of Saint Petersburg State University. In March 2022 Durov wrote that, "On my Mom's side, I trace my family line from Kyiv. Her maiden name is Ukrainian (Ivanenko), and to this day we have many relatives living in Ukraine."