Controversial Telegram founder is leaving $17B fortune to his kids — all 106 of them

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, 40, says he’ll leave the entirety of his $17.1B fortune to his children and claims to have 106 of them

Pavel Durov, the co‑founder and CEO of encrypted messaging service Telegram, says he plans to leave his entire estimated $17.1 billion fortune to all 106 of his children.

Durov, 40, has six kids born naturally with three different women, and then over 100 conceived via anonymous sperm donations across 12 countries.

Speaking to French magazine Le Point, the controversial businessman emphasized equality among all his children, 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," Durov said. "They are all my children and will all have the same rights!"

However, there’s a significant catch: none of the children will have access to the inheritance until June 19, 2055, 30 years after the Le Point interview, to encourage self‑reliance and independence.

Pavel Durov, 40, has six kids born naturally with three different women, and then over 100 conceived via anonymous sperm donations across 12 countries. (Getty Images)

"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 reasoned.

The billionaire explained that the timing is motivated by the risks associated with his work, particularly legal scrutiny over Telegram's encrypted nature.

French authorities charged him in 2024, alleging that the platform enabled illegal activities to flourish, including the distribution of child sexual abuse material, drug trafficking, and various forms of fraud.

Durov denies any wrongdoing.

"Nothing has ever been proven showing that I am, even for a second, guilty of anything,” he told Le Point.

Durov said his kids will not have access to his inheritance until 30 years from now. (Getty Images)

Telegram, launched in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, now boasts nearly 1 billion users and is widely praised for its strong encryption. However, this same privacy has drawn criticism from officials, prompting his arrest.

Durov remains under judicial investigation in France but has been granted permission to travel to Dubai for up to 14 consecutive days, French authorities confirmed to a Kazinform News Agency correspondent on Friday.