Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, was apprehended at Bourget airport near Paris on Saturday evening, according to reports from TF1 TV and BFM TV, which cited unnamed sources. The investigation reportedly centers on the platform’s insufficient moderation, prompting concerns that this deficiency has allowed criminal activities to proliferate unchecked.
As of now, Telegram has not issued a statement in response to inquiries from Reuters, and both the French Interior Ministry and police have refrained from commenting on the matter. Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry has indicated that it is taking steps to “clarify” the situation, raising questions about whether Western non-governmental organizations (NGOs) might advocate for Durov’s release.
What is known about Durov and Telegram:
- Pavel Durov, a 39-year-old Russian entrepreneur, is the founder and owner of Telegram, a free messaging platform that competes with major social media services such as Facebook’s WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. The platform aims to achieve over one billion active monthly users within the next year.
- Telegram holds significant influence in Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet republics, serving as a vital source of information regarding Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Both Moscow and Kyiv officials utilize the app extensively, with some analysts dubbing it “a virtual battlefield” for the conflict.
- With a fortune estimated at .5 billion by Forbes, Durov left Russia in 2014 after he refused to comply with government demands to dismantle opposition communities on his social media platform, VKontakte, which he subsequently sold.
- Reports from Russian and French media suggest that Durov became a French citizen in 2021 and relocated both himself and Telegram to Dubai in 2017.
- In an April interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Durov expressed his preference for freedom over subservience, stating, “I would rather be free than to take orders from anyone.” His quest for a suitable base for his company has seen him reside in various cities, including Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.
- During the same interview, Durov revealed that aside from his financial assets, including Bitcoin, he does not possess significant properties such as real estate, jets, or yachts, emphasizing his desire for personal freedom.
