Pavel Durov

Pavel Valeryevich Durov (Russian: Павел Валерьевич Дуров; born 10 October 1984) is a technology entrepreneur who is best known as the chief executive officer (CEO) of Telegram.

Durov was born in the Soviet Union, and he co-founded the social networking site VKontakte (VK) in 2006. He was forced out of VK in 2014 following disputes with the company's new owners and increased pressure from Russian authorities, which also led him to leave the country. In 2013, he and his older brother, Nikolai Durov, developed Telegram, and in 2017, they moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where its headquarters are now located.

Durov was listed on Forbes's billionaires list in 2023, with an estimated net worth of $13 billion. His fortune is largely driven by his ownership of Telegram. As of 13 March 2026, Durov was ranked the 588th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $6.6 billion, according to Forbes. In 2022, he was recognized by Forbes as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates. In February 2023 Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai. Since 2021, he has held citizenship in Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United Arab Emirates, and France.

Durov publicly stands for Internet freedom and criticizes the establishment that tries to restrict it. On 24 August 2024, Durov was arrested by French police on criminal charges relating to an alleged lack of content moderation on Telegram and refusal to work with police, which allegedly allowed the spread of criminal activities. In July 2026, Russia issued an arrest warrant against Durov for “collaborating with terrorist activities”.