Pavel Durov

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Pavel Valeryevich Durov is a Russian technology entrepreneur best known as the founder and chief executive officer of Telegram, a messaging platform launched in 2013. Durov was born in Russia, where he co-founded the social networking site VKontakte 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 19 July 2025, Durov was the 118th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $17.1 billion, according to Forbes. In 2022, he was recognized by Forbes as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates. Read more

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