He is called the “Russian Zuckerberg”. The 39-year-old entrepreneur, who, in addition to Russian citizenship, has passports from Saint Kitts and Nevis, the UAE and France, became one of the founders of the social network VKontakte, the Telegram messenger, and cryptocurrency.

Pavel Durov has had his share of run-ins with authorities not just in Russia but around the world. This weekend, he was detained at Le Bourget airport near Paris over allegations against his messaging app Telegram, French media reported, citing unnamed sources.

Investigators from the National Fraud Office have issued a warrant for his arrest on charges of cyberbullying, fraud, drug trafficking, organized crime and promoting terrorism on his platform. Here’s everything you need to know about Durov.

The first social network

The entrepreneur was born in St. Petersburg and will turn 40 in two months.

He launched his first social network at the age of 22, the VKontakte (VK) platform, which he co-created and which was aimed at Russian-speaking users and was more popular than Facebook in the country, according to the AFP news agency.

But in 2014 he left Russia after refusing government demands to shut down opposition groups on VKontakte and hand over personal data to Russian security services, including blocking the account of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison.

He stated that he does not have any property such as real estate or yachts, and his only assets are money and cryptocurrency.

Telegram

In 2013, together with his brother Nikolai, Durov launched Telegram, a free platform that protects user data and competes with other social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and WeChat.

The service allows anyone to follow videos, photos, and comments from users in so-called “channels,” or groups, but user data is protected by encryption. There are also private “channels,” which give group administrators the right to check who can see their messages.

Durov has always refused to moderate messages on Telegram, promoting it as a “free” platform.

In 2018, a Moscow court ordered Telegram to be blocked. But the attempt was unsuccessful.

Telegram is used by opposition groups around the world who do not want their data or communications compromised. During Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it became a key information platform for both sides of the war.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky uses Telegram to post daily war videos to citizens, and pro-Russian channels run by so-called “Z-bloggers” are also popular.

But Telegram has also become a platform for extremists and conspiracy theorists. Groups with up to 200,000 members make it easier to spread disinformation, including neo-Nazi and pedophile groups.

Durov’s personal life

After leaving Russia, Durov received citizenship from the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis after donating $250,000 (€223,000) to develop the country’s sugar industry, according to Russian media reports.

In August 2021, he received French citizenship, which Durov says he did as a joke after his assistant advised him to apply under the name “Paul Du Rove.” The circumstances of his acquisition of the French passport remain a mystery, and French authorities have never commented on the matter.

He also holds UAE citizenship and lives in Dubai, where Telegram is based.

Forbes estimates Durov’s net worth at around $15.5 billion (€14 billion), making him the 121st richest person in the world.

Always dressed in black, Durov is a somewhat enigmatic figure and rarely gives interviews.

But on his Telegram channel he writes that he leads a solitary lifestyle and does not consume meat, alcohol or coffee.

He also claims to be the biological father of more than 100 children through sperm donation in a dozen countries, calling it a “civic duty.”

Why was he arrested?

French investigators have issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of cyberbullying, fraud, drug trafficking, organised crime and promoting terrorism on his platform. He is accused of failing to prevent criminal use of his platform.

“Enough with Telegram impunity,” said one investigator, according to The Guardian, who also said he was surprised that Durov had flown to Paris knowing he was wanted.

In the past, Durov has said that Telegram responds to all requests to remove content that calls for violence or murder.

“Telegram complies with EU laws, including the Digital Services Act, its moderation complies with industry standards and is constantly being improved,” Telegram said in a statement on Sunday evening.