Telegram founder Russian billionaire Pavel Durov says he will pay for IVF for any woman under 38 who agrees to bear his child

The founder of Telegram, billionaire Pavel Durov, 41 years old, is back in the spotlight with statements that have sparked controversy in the international press. The entrepreneur, whose fortune is estimated at nearly 17 billion dollars, announced that he is willing to pay for the in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure for women under 38 who want to use his genetic material.

Founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov/PHOTO: Instagram

Durov had previously claimed that he already has over a hundred biological children he has never met, conceived through sperm donation, as well as six children from relationships with three different partners. According to the Daily Mail, the billionaire claims that all his children, regardless of how they were conceived, will one day be entitled to a share of his fortune.

“I don't differentiate between my children”

In a podcast by Lex Fridman, Durov stated that any child who can prove the genetic link to him could, in about 30 years, benefit from the inheritance. The same position was reiterated in an interview given to the French magazine Le Point, where he explicitly stated that he does not differentiate between his children.

In parallel, the founder of Telegram has publicly supported the idea that the decline in male fertility globally is caused by environmental factors, such as plastic pollution, and said that he is proud of his “contribution” to combating this phenomenon.

Durov's genetic “mission”.

According to reports in Russian and Western media, dozens of women responded to an ad last year offering free access to Durov's genetic material, stored in a Moscow clinic. Online media and at various conferences talked about the “high genetic compatibility” of the Telegram founder.

The initiative officially began in December 2024, when Durov announced that he would cover IVF costs for women under 37 who choose to use his sperm. Later, the offer was extended to women under 38.

The genetic material is no longer directly donated, but the samples are stored in the assisted reproduction clinic “Altravita” and, according to the institution, are “still available”, with certain legal restrictions. To avoid possible legal problems, access is limited to unmarried women aged 37 or older.

The embryos are subjected to genetic tests to detect possible hereditary conditions and are mainly intended for high-income clients from Russia and abroad.

The director of the “Altravita” clinic, Serghei Iakovenko – close to Durov – would have explained that the donation of quality genetic material can be seen as an act of social responsibility, in the context of the increase in male infertility.

“Everything was paid for and the donor was famous”

Durov said he started donating sperm back in 2010, when he agreed to help a friend who was having difficulty having children. Later, he continued this process on a large scale.

In a post on Telegram, he claimed that his work has helped more than a hundred couples in 12 countries become parents, and announced that he plans to make his DNA publicly available so that all his biological children can find each other.

A former doctor at the clinic said that the women who underwent the procedure were “educated, healthy and very attractive”, stating that Durov was not involved in their selection. “Suddenly there was an opportunity: everything was paid for, and the donor was a successful, intelligent and charismatic person,” he said.

Personal life and legal conflicts

Pavel Durov has two children from a previous relationship and three others with Irina Bolgar, a lawyer based in Switzerland. According to media reports, the two are currently in litigation, with Bolgar claiming that Durov stopped providing them with financial support starting in 2023.

The Telegram founder is currently in a relationship with influencer Iulia Vavilova, who announced that she suffered a miscarriage in 2024.

Harsh attack on Macron and the EU

In parallel with these revelations, Durov continues to be vocal on the political level as well. He recently accused French President Emmanuel Macron of turning the European Union into a “digital gulag” through online censorship and surveillance measures.

On the X platform, Durov criticized European legislation on digital services (DSA) and the plan known as “Chat Control”, which would involve mass scanning of encrypted communications. He suggested these initiatives are politically motivated amid Macron's declining popularity.

In March, Pavel Durov announced that he had left France with the permission of the judiciary, where he was under investigation, and returned to Dubai.