Pavel Durov, Founder Of Telegram Who Chooses Freedom Instead Of Obeying Orders From Anyone

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram (photo: x @jacksonhinklle)

Pavel Durov, the founder billionaire and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, was arrested at Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, August 24. Information on this arrest was first reported by French TV channels TF1 and BFM, citing unnamed sources.

Pavel Durov, 39, was born in Russia and known as the founder of Telegram, an instant messaging platform that competes with other applications such as WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat. Telegram, known as a free and secure platform, has become an important source of information in various countries, including Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet countries. During the Russian-Ukraine war, Telegram was used intensively by officials from both sides, making it one of the virtual battlefields in the conflict.

Durov left Russia in 2014 after refusing to comply with the government's request to close the opposition community on his social media platform, VKontak, which he later sold. After leaving Russia, Durov shifted his focus to Telegram, which later grew into one of the world's most popular instant messaging apps.

In 2021, Durov officially became a French citizen, but he moved himself and Telegram to Dubai in 2017. Apart from French citizenship, Durov is also reported to have citizenship in the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis.

Russia began blocking Telegram in 2018 after Durov rejected a court order to grant state security services access to users' encrypted messages. Although this attempt failed completely, the move sparked mass protests in Moscow and criticism from various NGOs.

Telegram's growing popularity has also attracted the attention of some European countries, including France, especially with regard to data security and leakage issues. In May, EU technology regulators stated that they were communicating with Telegram regarding the potential for stricter implementation of regulations against the platform under the EU's latest online content law.

In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson in April, Durov confirmed that he preferred freedom rather than having to comply with orders from anyone. It was this establishment that led him to leave Russia and find a safer place for Telegram, which involves traveling to major cities around the world such as Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco.