Billionaire ‘supersperm' donor to leave vast fortune to his 106 children… and he's so rich they'll STILL get £160m each
THE billionaire founder of Telegram has made a new will - splitting his £17bn fortune among his 106 kids.
Pavel Durov, 40, says he'll treat all his children equally, whether born via sperm donation or 'naturally'.
5
Pavel Durov is a Russian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Telegram
Credit: East2West
5
The tech tycoon says he'll split his fortune among his 106 children
Credit: East2West
5
Allegedly, three of the six kids that Durov fathered 'naturally'
Credit: East2West
The self-exiled Russian tycoon told Le Point magazine that none of his children will be getting their hands on the cash for the next 30 years.
Durov said: 'I want them to live like normal people, to build their lives on their own, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create - not to be dependent on a bank account.'
Durov is the founder of Telegram messenger, which is known for its focus on privacy and encrypted messaging and boasts over a billion monthly active users worldwide.
Dubbed the Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk of Russia, the tech tycoon has an estimated net worth of £17 billion.
Read more world news
VLAD'S BOMBS Bodies pulled from rubble as Vlad kills 28 & EU chief issues chilling warning
He told the magazine he drafted his will because he feels threatened after refusing to share user data with the secret services of Russia and Western countries.
Durov said: 'My work involves risks - defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states.
'I want to protect my children, but also the company I created, Telegram.
'I want Telegram to always remain true to the values I stand for.'
Discussing his alleged 106 kids, he said: 'I decided that my children will not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has passed, starting from today…
'I want to make it clear that I make no distinction between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally, and those born from my sperm donations.
'They are all my children and they will all have the same rights.
'I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.'
5
Durov with girlfriend Yulia Vavilova
Credit: East2West
5
Durov is currently under investigation
Credit: East2West
Telegram founder Pavel Durov faces four more days of questioning after arrest over 'failing to stop terrorism' on app
Durov said he has six children, for whom he is the 'official father, with three different partners.
'The others were born from my anonymous donations.
'The [Russian] clinic where I started donating sperm 15 years ago - to help a friend - told me that over 100 babies have been conceived this way in 12 countries.'
He added: 'I have a newborn son - I'm missing his first months.
'He doesn't even have a passport because I wasn't at his birth in Dubai.'
Durov is also a French citizen and currently lives in France, where he is under investigation.
He was arrested last year after flying from Azerbaijan to Paris with girlfriend Yulia Vavilova, 24, a gamer and crypto coach.
Authorities claimed Telegram's lack of moderation, limited cooperation with law enforcement and features like disposable numbers and cryptocurrency make it an accomplice in drug trafficking, paedophilia and fraud.
When Durov refused to hand over data on Ukrainian protesters to Russian security agencies, he was effectively forced to give up his company and move abroad in 2014.
He said the French investigation into his affairs was 'completely absurd', adding, "Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals."
He said: 'Telegram staff can't see or read user messages.
'That's why we've never revealed a single private message.
'If a court flags a user ID in a criminal case, we review metadata - IP address, phone number. That's it.'
Telegram is widely used by both Russia and Ukrainian sides in the war.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
16 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Will US attack Iran? Trump's Truth Social feed offers clues
In precarious moments like the one we are in now, as the world wonders if the United States will join Israel in attacking Iran, that's a problem. Trump's social media posts, and even his interviews with traditional news outlets, are often unserious and haphazard. He taunts his foes like an NBA point guard and relies on a stream of consciousness communication style that is both cringeworthy and dangerous in a world where wars are a constant threat. Please, Mr. President, stop. For the love of all that is peaceful and for the sake of the men and women who serve in our nation's military, would you close the app and put down the phone? Hey Trump, maybe log off Truth Social for a bit? Trump's social media page on Truth Social is a cacophony of thoughts that I'm loathe to read. He frequently posts messages to world leaders that ought to be conveyed, if at all, behind closed doors. Opinion: Trump must back Israel against Iran. 'Kooky' Carlson is wrong about nuclear threat. On June 17, Trump posted: "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there - We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Reading that makes me nauseous. Trump is, after all, our nation's commander in chief and the stakes for Israel, the United States and the world couldn't be higher. On June 18, Trump responded to a reporter's question about a potential American strike on Iranian nuclear sites in his typical manner: "I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do. I can tell you this that Iran's got a lot of trouble and they want to negotiate. And I said, why didn't you negotiate with me before? All this death, and destruction." He spoke about missile strikes like they were a casual game of checkers with a friend. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter on conservative values, family and religion from columnist Nicole Russell. Get it delivered to your inbox Trump has been like this for years, of course, but he's once again the president. What he says and how he says it, even where he says it, matters. A lot. In May, Trump described Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media as "absolutely CRAZY!" The United States was at the same time trying to negotiate a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Not surprisingly, the carnage continues in that war. He is never shy about picking a fight. In February, Trump posted, "CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING!" That successfully goaded progressives into the "No Kings" protests we saw recently. His supporters love that kind of drama. But now we're talking about war, not domestic politics and all of the silliness it entails. Opinion: Israel's successful attack on Iran is proof American support is worth the money Whatever happened to speak softly and carry a big stick? I'm not arguing that the president doesn't have the right to express himself on social media. He has often used his vast following to his advantage. However, when it comes to handling enemies like Iran and the terrible dangers of nuclear weapons, the world doesn't need the American president's half-baked thoughts served up at 3 a.m. Trump would do well to channel Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy adage, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." He also would do well to negotiate quietly, talk less, listen more and stop posting on social media every random thought that floats into his head. Nicole Russell is an opinion columnist with USA TODAY. She lives in Texas with her four kids. Sign up for her newsletter, The Right Track, and get it delivered to your inbox.
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
NetEase game Blood Message may have the best video game graphics ever
After Black Myth: Wukong put China on the map in terms of single-player action games, new title Blood Message seems to be going a step further. Up until the last couple of years, the Chinese video games industry has had virtually no visible influence on the Western market. Giant publishers like Tencent and NetEase do own numerous Western developers, and shares in publishers, but no one would play a game like Marvel Rivals and assume it came from China. But all that has changed recently, with last year's Black Myth: Wukong (and Stellar Blade from Korean studio Shift Up) cementing a new era of Asian video games that are not from Japan. You would think that the lack of experience, with console style single-player games, would require a long period of learning and experimentation, but in terms of graphics that has not been the case at all. To the point where new game Blood Message is already looking better than almost any other game in development. All we've got to go on is the trailer below, but the game is published by NetEase and developed by 24 Entertainment in Hangzhou, China. It's described as a 'cinematic, single-player, linear story-driven action adventure' for consoles and PC. A lot of the first wave of Chinese single-player games have been heavily influenced by FromSoftware and the Soulslikes genre, including the upcoming Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, but Blood Message seems to be closer to Sony titles such as God Of War and The Last Of Us. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. There's little further information about the gameplay, except that it blends 'visceral, realistic combat' with 'stealth and survival mechanics.' More Trending The story is based around the final years of the Tang Dynasty, in the 9th century, and casts you as an unnamed messenger trying to travel East, with his young son, during Dunhuang's Uprising. We're unclear how much of it is based on historical reality but there doesn't seem to be any magic or fantasy elements. Unreal Engine 5 is being used for the visuals and if the trailer is an accurate representation of what the game is going to look like in action, then we should all be in for a treat. There's no word on a release date or year, which is usually an indication that the game is a long way off, but hopefully we'll find out about that soon. 'As our first completely single-player focused experience from NetEase Games, after two decades of deep dedication to the gaming industry, we are prepared to deliver a truly epic and cinematic experience for players around the world,' said Zhipeng Hu, Lead Producer and NetEase Executive Vice President. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: You can buy one of the best games ever for the price of an ice lolly MORE: The six strangest games Hideo Kojima made before Death Stranding 2 MORE: Survival Kids review – lost in blue on the Nintendo Switch 2
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Billionaire ‘supersperm' donor to leave vast fortune to his 106 children… and he's so rich they'll STILL get £160m each
THE billionaire founder of Telegram has made a new will - splitting his £17bn fortune among his 106 kids. Pavel Durov, 40, says he'll treat all his children equally, whether born via sperm donation or 'naturally'. 5 Pavel Durov is a Russian billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Telegram Credit: East2West 5 The tech tycoon says he'll split his fortune among his 106 children Credit: East2West 5 Allegedly, three of the six kids that Durov fathered 'naturally' Credit: East2West The self-exiled Russian tycoon told Le Point magazine that none of his children will be getting their hands on the cash for the next 30 years. Durov said: 'I want them to live like normal people, to build their lives on their own, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create - not to be dependent on a bank account.' Durov is the founder of Telegram messenger, which is known for its focus on privacy and encrypted messaging and boasts over a billion monthly active users worldwide. Dubbed the Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk of Russia, the tech tycoon has an estimated net worth of £17 billion. Read more world news VLAD'S BOMBS Bodies pulled from rubble as Vlad kills 28 & EU chief issues chilling warning He told the magazine he drafted his will because he feels threatened after refusing to share user data with the secret services of Russia and Western countries. Durov said: 'My work involves risks - defending freedoms earns you many enemies, including within powerful states. 'I want to protect my children, but also the company I created, Telegram. 'I want Telegram to always remain true to the values I stand for.' Discussing his alleged 106 kids, he said: 'I decided that my children will not have access to my fortune until a period of 30 years has passed, starting from today… 'I want to make it clear that I make no distinction between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally, and those born from my sperm donations. 'They are all my children and they will all have the same rights. 'I don't want them to tear each other apart after my death.' 5 Durov with girlfriend Yulia Vavilova Credit: East2West 5 Durov is currently under investigation Credit: East2West Telegram founder Pavel Durov faces four more days of questioning after arrest over 'failing to stop terrorism' on app Durov said he has six children, for whom he is the 'official father, with three different partners. 'The others were born from my anonymous donations. 'The [Russian] clinic where I started donating sperm 15 years ago - to help a friend - told me that over 100 babies have been conceived this way in 12 countries.' He added: 'I have a newborn son - I'm missing his first months. 'He doesn't even have a passport because I wasn't at his birth in Dubai.' Durov is also a French citizen and currently lives in France, where he is under investigation. He was arrested last year after flying from Azerbaijan to Paris with girlfriend Yulia Vavilova, 24, a gamer and crypto coach. Authorities claimed Telegram's lack of moderation, limited cooperation with law enforcement and features like disposable numbers and cryptocurrency make it an accomplice in drug trafficking, paedophilia and fraud. When Durov refused to hand over data on Ukrainian protesters to Russian security agencies, he was effectively forced to give up his company and move abroad in 2014. He said the French investigation into his affairs was 'completely absurd', adding, "Just because criminals use our messaging service among many others doesn't make those who run it criminals." He said: 'Telegram staff can't see or read user messages. 'That's why we've never revealed a single private message. 'If a court flags a user ID in a criminal case, we review metadata - IP address, phone number. That's it.' Telegram is widely used by both Russia and Ukrainian sides in the war.
