Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov was arrested in France on Saturday evening. Local media reports suggest the investigation focused on a lack of moderators on the messaging app. The Russian embassy in France demanded consular access to Durov and guarantees of his rights, Russian state news agency TASS reported. The embassy said France had so far “avoided engaging” with the situation with Durov.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov, a 39-year-old Russian-born entrepreneur, is the billionaire founder and CEO of messaging app Telegram. Forbes estimated his net worth at $15.5 billion.
Durov’s journey into the world of social media began with VKontakte, often referred to as the “Russian Facebook,” which he co-founded in 2006. VKontakte quickly became Russia’s largest social network, but it also brought Durov into conflict with the Russian government. When pressured to shut down opposition communities on VKontakte in 2014, Durov refused to comply and left Russia. He sold his stake in VKontakte and began his self-imposed exile.
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In 2013, Durov launched Telegram, a messaging app that emphasizes user privacy with its encrypted messaging feature. Telegram has since become a serious competitor to platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Today, the app has hundreds of millions of users worldwide and aims to surpass the one billion active monthly users mark next year.
Telegram is particularly influential in Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet states, where it serves as a key source of information, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Both Russian and Ukrainian officials rely heavily on the platform, which some analysts have called the “virtual battlefield” of the conflict.
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Where is Telegram’s headquarters?
Since leaving Russia, Durov has led a nomadic life, constantly searching for a safe haven for himself and his company. His search for a home for Telegram took him through Berlin, London, Singapore and San Francisco before settling in Dubai, where the company is currently headquartered.
What nationality does Telegram CEO Pavel Durov have?
Durov became a French citizen in 2021 and reportedly holds citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, an island nation in the Caribbean.
Concerns about Telegram’s content moderation
Telegram’s popularity has not come without challenges. In 2018, Russia attempted to block the app after Durov refused to give state security services access to users’ encrypted messages. The ban was largely ineffective, but sparked protests and criticism from NGOs. More recently, European countries, including France, have scrutinized Telegram over security concerns and privacy violations. The app’s growth in Europe has caught the attention of EU regulators, who may impose stricter requirements on Telegram as part of new online content laws.
“I would rather be free than take orders from anyone,” Durov told US journalist Tucker Carlson in April about his departure from Russia and the search for a new location for his company.
