Telegramgrundaren hävdar censurförsök från Frankrike

Pavel Valeryevich Durov (Russian: Павел Валерьевич Дуров; born 10 October 1984) is a Russian technology entrepreneur best known as the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Telegram, a messaging platform launched in 2013. Durov was born in Russia, where he co-founded the social networking site VKontakte (VK) in 2006. He left 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 a net worth of $11.5 billion. His fortune is largely driven by his ownership of Telegram. As of 25 August 2024, Durov was the 120th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $15.5 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. Durov publicly stands for Internet freedom and criticises the establishment that tries to restrict it. Since 2021, he has held citizenship in Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the United Arab Emirates, and France. 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 March 2025, Durov was allowed to leave France and returned to Dubai.