Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has opened up about how he fathered more than 100 children, revealing a mix of biological parenting and anonymous sperm donations spanning over a decade and across multiple countries.
In a recent interview with Le Point, the 40-year-old tech billionaire disclosed that while he has six children with three different women, the vast majority—around 100—were conceived through sperm donations he began making 15 years ago.
“It started when I donated sperm to help a friend,” Durov said. “The clinic told me that more than 100 babies had been conceived this way in 12 countries.”
Durov’s revelations come amid mounting legal troubles in France, where he faces charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, and fraud.
Denouncing the allegations as a “big set-up,” the Russian-born entrepreneur said the ongoing case compelled him to recently draft his will.
“They weren’t publicity stunts at all,” he said of the children. “I wrote my will very recently,” adding that he plans to divide his $17 billion fortune equally among all 106 children—but not immediately.
According to Durov, the inheritance won’t be accessible until 30 years from the date of the interview. “I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of thirty years has elapsed, starting from today,” he said.
“I want them to live like normal people… to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account.”
He emphasized that all his children, regardless of how they were conceived, would be treated equally. “They’re all my children. Whether natural or from donations, they’ll all be treated equally,” he said. “I don’t want them fighting over money after I’m gone.”
Durov also hinted at concerns about the future of Telegram, suggesting he has made contingency plans should he “suddenly disappear.”
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