Six Children by Marriage, About 100 by Sperm Donation
"No Discrimination Among My Children"
Pavel Durov (40), CEO of Telegram, announced that he will bequeath his fortune, estimated at $17 billion (approximately 23 trillion won), equally to all of his children, including those born via sperm donation. Durov has six children born within marriage and about 100 children conceived through sperm donation.
In an interview published on June 19 (local time) with the French weekly Le Point, Durov stated that he would distribute his wealth equally among all his children. He is officially married to three women and has six children, but he also acted as a sperm donor in 12 countries around the world, resulting in approximately 100 additional children.
Durov emphasized, "I want to make it clear that I do not discriminate between my children," adding, "Children born naturally and those born via sperm donation are all my children and will all have the same rights." However, he set a restriction that inheritance will only be possible starting 30 years from now, after June 19, 2055, and only when each child reaches the age of 30.
Durov said, "I want them to live like ordinary people. I hope they grow up independently and build their own lives," adding, "I do not want them to become people who rely on a bank account."
Durov, who was born in Russia and holds French citizenship, also addressed suspicions in the interview that he is close to the Vladimir Putin regime in Russia. He stated, "I met a high-ranking Russian official only once, in 2013," and added, "I have not set foot in Moscow for more than 10 years." After obtaining French citizenship in 2021 through a special procedure for foreigners who have made significant contributions to France, he has been living between Paris and Dubai. In 2013, he founded Telegram with his brother Nikolai.
On August 24 last year, Durov was arrested by local investigative authorities at Le Bourget Airport on the outskirts of Paris. He was provisionally indicted on charges of effectively colluding by allowing the distribution of child pornography, drug trafficking, organized fraud, and money laundering on Telegram, as well as refusing to comply with requests for information from investigative authorities. He was later released after posting bail of 5 million euros (approximately 7.4 billion won).
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
