In today’s digital world, you can share everything online—messages, videos and documents. But with this convenience comes the constant worry about data theft and privacy. Imagine an app where you can share and send messages, videos, audio, documents and more without worry. What if there is a platform with security so strong that even its creators couldn’t see your private conversations?
It is a platform that lets you chat smoothly across your phone, computer or web browser. This is the world of Telegram, a messaging app that has changed communication. Telegram is a free-to-use messaging app that competes with other messaging apps like WhatsApp. In this article, we will learn more about Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov.
Early Life
Pavel Durov was born on October 10, 1984, in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) Russia. For most of his life, he lived in Italy since his father was employed there. He left Russia and settled in Dubai after becoming a French citizen in 2021. Pavel also has citizenship in the Caribbean archipelago of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Academically, he graduated from the Philology Department of Saint Petersburg State University in 2006 with a first-class degree.
| Name | Pavel Durov |
| Birthdate | October 10, 1984 |
| Age | 39 years |
| Source Of Wealth | Telegram |
| Children | 5 |
| Net Worth | $15.5 B |
| Residence | Dubai |
| Citizenship | Russia, France, UAE and St Kitts & Nevis |
During his university years, Pavel’s entrepreneurial drive started to take shape. He had built two websites, one was Durov.com, a resourceful database with educational materials for his classmates. The second, Spbgu.ru, was a more ambitious project—a platform for students and faculty at St. Petersburg State University to communicate. It had personal profiles, friend lists, and blogging features, acting as an early version of social networking sites.
The Birth Of Telegram
Before establishing Telegram, Pavel founded VKontakte(VK), a social networking site he founded in Russia. In time, VK became popular, but Pavel faced increasing pressure from the Russian government to censor content and share user’s private information.
His refusal to comply with these demands led to conflicts that eventually forced him out of the company in 2014. Building on these challenges, Pavel developed a new social media platform that placed user privacy and security at the forefront. It led to the creation of Telegram in 2013, a messaging app designed to offer users a secure way to communicate without fear of surveillance or censorship. He founded this company along with his brother Nikolai.
Furthermore, Telegram quickly gained popularity, especially among users, concerned about their privacy on other platforms like WhatsApp. Durov’s focus on encryption and commitment to keep Telegram independent from any single government or jurisdiction has been key to the app’s success.
Did you know, he was once dubbed the ‘Russian Zuckerberg?’
Features Of Telegram
Below is a feature that showcases the features of Telegram
| Feature | Description |
| End-to-End Encryption | The Secret Chat feature ensures messages are accessible only to the sender and receiver |
| Self-Destructing Messages | Chat messages can automatically disappear after a certain period |
| Chat Folders | You can organise chats into folders to avoid clutter |
| Two-Factor Authentication | Adds an extra layer of security when you are logging into the app |
| Group Chats | Create groups with up to 200,000 members, which can be private or public |
| Voice and Video Calls | Encrypted voice and video calls, plus voice chats in groups |
| Location Sharing | You can share your live location with others by selecting a contact |
| Message Pinning | Pin messages to the top of a group chat for easy access |
| GIF and Video Search | Search for GIFs and videos within a chat |
| Notification Muting | Mute notifications from specific contacts |
Controversies Related To Pavel Durov
Pavel Durov has faced several legal issues, especially in Russia. In 2014, he left the country because he wouldn’t agree to shut down opposition groups on VKontakte. This decision led him to sell his share in VKontakte and start Telegram. Moreover, Telegram has been involved in controversies, mainly over its privacy and encryption policies. In 2018, Russia tried to ban Telegram because Durov refused to give the government access to users’ encrypted messages.
Durov’s legal troubles have continued abroad and on August 24, 2024, he was arrested at Le Bourget airport near Paris and faced charges in France. The accusations include allowing illegal content such as child pornography and drug trafficking as well as not cooperating with authorities, money laundering and helping criminals with encryption services.
Additionally, he has faced extra charges for allegedly managing an online platform that engages in illegal activities and on suspicions of harming one of his children while in Paris, an ex-partner, and the boy’s mother, were in Paris. After four days of questioning, he was released on bail but cannot leave France and should check in with the police twice a week.
Bottom Line
Pavel Durov, Telegram’s creator has changed the way we use messaging apps by focusing on keeping user privacy and security strong. Starting with small projects in Russia, he went on to build, one of the safest messaging platforms in the world. His path has been filled with creativity, determination and some controversy. Despite facing legal issues and accusations, Durov remains dedicated to protecting user data, making Telegram a popular and trusted app for millions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Who is the real owner of Telegram?
Pavel Durov, the Russian-born entrepreneur who founded Telegram.
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How many Indians use Telegram?
More than 104 million use Telegram in India.
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What is Telegram used for?
Telegram is an app that allows for one-on-one conversations, group chats and large channels that allows people to broadcast messages to subscribers.
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Who owns WhatsApp currently?
Meta, the company that owns Facebook, also owns Instagram and WhatsApp.
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Who is the real CEO of WhatsApp?
WhatsApp was founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton.
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Which countries that have banned Telegram?
The countries that have banned Telegram are:
- United Kingdom
- Spain
- Norway
- Germany
- Russia
- Belarus
- China
- Iran
- Thailand
- Pakistan
