Arab Canada News

News

After his arrest in France.. who is billionaire Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram app?

After his arrest in France.. who is billionaire Pavel Durov, the founder of the Telegram app?

By Mohamed nasar

Published: August 26, 2024

The billionaire and founder of the Telegram app, Pavel Durov, was arrested after arriving in France aboard his private jet over the weekend.

According to reports, Durov was the subject of a search warrant, with French media indicating that the investigation focuses on a lack of oversight for the encrypted messaging app and the potential for criminal activity by users.

Telegram is one of the most downloaded apps in the world, but who is the man behind it - and how does the app work?

- Who is Pavel Durov?
Born in Russia, he is the founder and owner of the Telegram app - a free messaging service that competes with other platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and TikTok.

His fortune is currently estimated by Forbes magazine at $15.5 billion "11.7 billion pounds," making him the 120th richest person in the world, and he is sometimes referred to as "Russia's Mark Zuckerberg."

Durov left Russia in 2014, a year after the launch of Telegram, after refusing to comply with government demands to shut down opposition communities on "VKontakte" - the social media platform he co-founded with his brother and later sold.

Durov moved to Dubai in 2017 and became a French citizen in August 2021.

According to media reports, Durov has also obtained UAE citizenship, and he holds citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis, a country made up of two islands in the Caribbean.

- Telegram's popularity has led to increased scrutiny
The Telegram app has a significant influence in Russia and Ukraine and the former Soviet republics.

However, Russia began blocking the app in 2018 after the company refused to comply with a court order to grant government security services access to users' encrypted messages; this action had little effect on the availability of Telegram there, but it sparked widespread protests in Moscow and criticism from NGOs.

The app is becoming increasingly popular, and it is now among the top 5 most downloaded apps globally, according to the company; by 2023, its active user base surpassed 700 million monthly users - with a goal of exceeding one billion users within a year.

However, this rising popularity has led to increased scrutiny by several countries in Europe, including France, over security concerns and data breaches.

Durov states, "Telegram is committed to protecting users' privacy and human rights such as freedom of expression and assembly," adding, "It has played a prominent role in pro-democracy movements around the world, including in Iran, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, and Hong Kong."

Durov is known for often wearing black clothing, resembling the character Neo from the fictional "Matrix" film series.

After his arrest, a number of activists gathered to show their support in Moscow, and paper airplanes, referencing Telegram, were placed near the French embassy in Moscow.

Speaking about his departure from Russia to controversial American journalist Tucker Carlson in April, Durov said he "would rather be free than take orders from anyone."

Comments

Related

Weather

Today

Saturday, 05 July 2025

Loading...
icon --°C

--°C

--°C

  • --%
  • -- kmh
  • --%