Pavel Durov is a billionaire social media mogul without the usual trappings of wealth that he could easily afford.
The 39-year-old, who is estimated to be worth £12 billion, boasts of owning no major personal assets.
Despite living in the multi-millionaires’ playground of Dubai, he revealed in a rare television interview earlier this year that he didn’t own a house, land, yachts or private jets.
He told US broadcaster Tucker Carlson: ‘I don’t think this lifestyle is for me.’ Adding: ‘My number one priority in life is my freedom.’
Durov said he focuses all his energy on Telegram, the social media platform with 950 million users that he founded in 2013 with his ‘genius’ brother Nikolai.
Born in Russia, Durov spent many of his childhood years in Italy before returning to his homeland when his father, a scholar in ancient Roman literature, landed a new job at St Petersburg University.
Pavel Durov (pictured) is a billionaire social media mogul without the usual trappings of wealth that he could easily afford
Irina Bolgar, 44, (pictured, centre) a Russian woman based in Switzerland, claimed he fathered her daughter and two sons born in 2013, 2016 and 2017
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov delivers his keynote conference during day two of the Mobile World Congress at the Fira Gran Via complex in Barcelona, Spain on February 23, 2016
Both brothers mastered computer code and programming from an early age and Durov set up VK, dubbed the ‘Facebook of Russia’, when he left university at 21.
It quickly grew into the largest social media company in Russia and the former Soviet countries, but before long he clashed with the authorities.
When he refused to provide data on Ukrainian protestors to Russian security agencies he was effectively forced to give up his company and moved abroad in 2014.
Durov said the absence of any secure form of communication in Russia gave him the idea for Telegram. His brother created Telegram’s encryption system and the rest is history.
The Russian entrepreneur said he abandoned attempts to settle in Berlin, London and San Francisco because of ‘bureaucratic hurdles’ put in his way and ended up living in Dubai.
He now has dual French and Emirati citizenship and remains the sole owner of Telegram.
People walk past paper planes referring to the logo of the Telegram messaging app, which were placed during a gathering in support of freedom of expression following the arrest of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, near the French embassy in Moscow, Russia August 25, 2024
Activist Vladislav Mazur takes part in a one-person picket to protest against the arrest of Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, near the French embassy in Moscow, Russia August 25, 2024
Durov also appears to have an equally colourful personal life.
He has posed for photographs to show off his muscular physique, but despite his good looks and status he is believed to be single.
Bizarrely Durov recently claimed in a Telegram post to be the father to more than 100 children worldwide after becoming a sperm donor.
He is known to have had a daughter and son with ex-partner Daria Bondarenko, now based in Barcelona.
And recently Irina Bolgar, 44, a Russian woman based in Switzerland, claimed he fathered her daughter and two sons born in 2013, 2016 and 2017, insisting they were ‘conceived and born naturally.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk