Billionaire to leave fortune to 100 children he's fathered
Last year, a clinic in Moscow began advertising its supply of Durov's sperm and offering free IVF for women willing to have a child with 'one of the most famous and successful entrepreneurs of our time'.
The AltraVita clinic said: 'Pavel Durov is willing to finance all the IVF protocols that use his sperm. It is a very generous contribution to society from someone who wants to help those dreaming of becoming parents.'
Durov's 100 children rank him among the world's top sperm donors, though he is not the most prolific. Jonathan Jacob Meijer, a Dutch YouTuber, reportedly fathered 1000 children, according to Netflix, although he insists it is only 550.
Durov is not the only technology entrepreneur to advocate having a large number of children. Elon Musk is reported to have at least 14 children, who he has referred to as his 'legion' and has pushed 'smart people' to have more offspring.
'A collapsing birth rate is the biggest danger civilisation faces by far,' Musk said in 2022.
In the US, a 'pro-natalist' movement has emerged amongst conservatives urging people to have more children in order to tackle declining birth rates. 'I want more babies in the United States of America,' JD Vance said in his first address as vice president in January.
Durov founded VKontakte, known as Russia's Facebook, before he left the business and Russia under pressure from the Kremlin in 2014. He later founded Telegram, an encrypted messaging app used by more than 1 billion people, as well as a cryptocurrency.
Telegram has repeatedly faced criticism for its light-touch content moderation and last year Durov was charged in France with complicity in spreading child abuse online and allowing drug trafficking. He has denied the charges and told Le Point they were 'totally absurd'.
Durov runs Telegram, which only has around 50 staff, from Dubai, although since his arrest in France he has been barred from leaving the country. Born in the Soviet Union, he now has French and Emirati citizenship.
Despite his vast paper fortune, he is known for his minimalist lifestyle, strict diet and veganism. He told Le Point he did not own a 'house, yacht or private jet', although he enjoyed staying in 'beautiful hotels'.
Loading
The billionaire is also fitness guru. He told Le Point he begins his day with 300 push-ups and 300 squats and posts videos to his Instagram of his ice baths.
His arrest last August at Le Bourget airport fractured a previously friendly relationship with the French state. Durov's French citizenship application was fast-tracked by Emmanuel Macron, an active Telegram user, who had previously personally spoken with the billionaire over the app.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Russian drones slam into two Ukrainian cities
Russian drones have slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in night-time attacks, authorities say, as a Kremlin official says he expects an announcement on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia's drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks, officials said on Friday. The barrage of more than 20 drones injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Russia continues its tactics of targeted terror against our people," Zelenskiy said on messaging app Telegram, urging the United States and the European Union to crank up economic pressure on Russia. Russia has shown no signs of relenting in its attacks, more than three years after it invaded its neighbour. It is pressing a summer offensive on parts of the roughly 1000km front line and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the date for the next round peace talks was expected to be agreed upon next week. Kyiv officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on June 2, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. Ukraine and Russia's defence ministry announced the latest swap on Friday, although they did not specify how many troops were involved. Zelenskiy said most of those returning home had been in captivity for more than two years. A fire caused by Russia's night-time strike on Odesa engulfed a four-storey residential building, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate fire spread across the upper floors of a high-rise, leading to the evacuation of about 600 residents. In Kharkiv, at least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Ukraine's air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down or jammed 70 of them. Russian drones have slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in night-time attacks, authorities say, as a Kremlin official says he expects an announcement on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia's drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks, officials said on Friday. The barrage of more than 20 drones injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Russia continues its tactics of targeted terror against our people," Zelenskiy said on messaging app Telegram, urging the United States and the European Union to crank up economic pressure on Russia. Russia has shown no signs of relenting in its attacks, more than three years after it invaded its neighbour. It is pressing a summer offensive on parts of the roughly 1000km front line and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the date for the next round peace talks was expected to be agreed upon next week. Kyiv officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on June 2, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. Ukraine and Russia's defence ministry announced the latest swap on Friday, although they did not specify how many troops were involved. Zelenskiy said most of those returning home had been in captivity for more than two years. A fire caused by Russia's night-time strike on Odesa engulfed a four-storey residential building, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate fire spread across the upper floors of a high-rise, leading to the evacuation of about 600 residents. In Kharkiv, at least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Ukraine's air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down or jammed 70 of them. Russian drones have slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in night-time attacks, authorities say, as a Kremlin official says he expects an announcement on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia's drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks, officials said on Friday. The barrage of more than 20 drones injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Russia continues its tactics of targeted terror against our people," Zelenskiy said on messaging app Telegram, urging the United States and the European Union to crank up economic pressure on Russia. Russia has shown no signs of relenting in its attacks, more than three years after it invaded its neighbour. It is pressing a summer offensive on parts of the roughly 1000km front line and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the date for the next round peace talks was expected to be agreed upon next week. Kyiv officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on June 2, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. Ukraine and Russia's defence ministry announced the latest swap on Friday, although they did not specify how many troops were involved. Zelenskiy said most of those returning home had been in captivity for more than two years. A fire caused by Russia's night-time strike on Odesa engulfed a four-storey residential building, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate fire spread across the upper floors of a high-rise, leading to the evacuation of about 600 residents. In Kharkiv, at least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Ukraine's air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down or jammed 70 of them. Russian drones have slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in night-time attacks, authorities say, as a Kremlin official says he expects an announcement on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia's drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks, officials said on Friday. The barrage of more than 20 drones injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Russia continues its tactics of targeted terror against our people," Zelenskiy said on messaging app Telegram, urging the United States and the European Union to crank up economic pressure on Russia. Russia has shown no signs of relenting in its attacks, more than three years after it invaded its neighbour. It is pressing a summer offensive on parts of the roughly 1000km front line and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the date for the next round peace talks was expected to be agreed upon next week. Kyiv officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on June 2, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. Ukraine and Russia's defence ministry announced the latest swap on Friday, although they did not specify how many troops were involved. Zelenskiy said most of those returning home had been in captivity for more than two years. A fire caused by Russia's night-time strike on Odesa engulfed a four-storey residential building, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate fire spread across the upper floors of a high-rise, leading to the evacuation of about 600 residents. In Kharkiv, at least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Ukraine's air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down or jammed 70 of them.
Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Russian drones slam into two Ukrainian cities
Russian drones have slammed into two Ukrainian cities, killing at least one person in night-time attacks, authorities say, as a Kremlin official says he expects an announcement on dates for a fresh round of direct peace talks. Russia's drone assault targeted the southern Ukraine port city of Odesa and the northeastern city of Kharkiv, hitting apartment blocks, officials said on Friday. The barrage of more than 20 drones injured almost two dozen civilians, including girls aged 17 and 12, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. "Russia continues its tactics of targeted terror against our people," Zelenskiy said on messaging app Telegram, urging the United States and the European Union to crank up economic pressure on Russia. Russia has shown no signs of relenting in its attacks, more than three years after it invaded its neighbour. It is pressing a summer offensive on parts of the roughly 1000km front line and has kept up long-range strikes that have hit civilian areas. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the date for the next round peace talks was expected to be agreed upon next week. Kyiv officials have not recently spoken about resuming talks with Russia, last held when delegations met in Istanbul on June 2, though Ukraine continues to offer a ceasefire and support US-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting. The two rounds of brief talks yielded only agreements on the exchange of prisoners and wounded soldiers. Ukraine and Russia's defence ministry announced the latest swap on Friday, although they did not specify how many troops were involved. Zelenskiy said most of those returning home had been in captivity for more than two years. A fire caused by Russia's night-time strike on Odesa engulfed a four-storey residential building, which partly collapsed and injured three emergency workers. A separate fire spread across the upper floors of a high-rise, leading to the evacuation of about 600 residents. In Kharkiv, at least eight drones hit civilian infrastructure, injuring four people, including two children, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service. Russia launched 80 Shahed and decoy drones overnight, Ukraine's air force said, claiming that air defenses shot down or jammed 70 of them.
9 News
8 hours ago
- 9 News
Tech billionaire promises to donate fortune to 100 children
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here The founder of message app Telegram has revealed his plans to split his multibillion-dollar fortune between his more than 100 children in a rare interview with a French magazine. Pavel Durov told Le Point he has six biological children to three different partners and dozens of others after he donated sperm to a fertility clinic. According to Forbes data, the entrepreneur has an estimated fortune of $US17.1 billion ($26.3 billion). Pavel Durov has promised to split his multi-billion-dollar fortune between his 100 children. (AP) The 40-year-old said he wrote his will recently and all of his children would "have the same rights" but the windfall would not be immediate. "I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has elapsed, starting from today," he said. "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. "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." CONTACT US
