Pavel Durov detained in France: All you need to know about the Telegram founder

Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of the Telegram app, was detained by French authorities at an airport outside Paris on Saturday evening, cited a CNN report.

The arrest follows a French warrant issued for Durov over allegations that the lack of moderation on Telegram has facilitated illegal activities including money laundering, drug trafficking, and the sharing of pedophilic content.

Here's everything you need to know about Telegram founder Pavel Durov.


Pavel Durov, 39, is the founder and owner of Telegram, a prominent messaging app that competes with major platforms such as Meta’s WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and Chinese platform WeChat. The app aims to surpass one billion active monthly users within the next year.

'Won't take orders from anyone': Telegram CEO

Born and brought up in Russia, Pavel Durov left his native country in 2014 after refusing government demands to shut down opposition groups on VKontakte, a social media platform he previously founded and subsequently sold. Telegram faced a block in Russia in 2018 over its refusal to grant state security services access to encrypted messages, which led to protests and criticism.

On his departure from Russia, Durov had emphasised on his choice of freedom over living in his nation.

"I would rather be free than to take orders from anyone," Durov was reportedly quoted as saying in 2014.

According to sources cited by French media and reported by the Moscow Times, Telegram's moderation issues have allegedly enabled these criminal activities. BFMTV, a CNN affiliate, noted that Durov’s failure to cooperate with law enforcement has contributed to the charges against him.

The rise and fall of the Telegram founder

Pavel Durov’s net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion by Forbes. But European authorities' increased scrutiny on Telegram and on Durov have led him to this apprarent fate of detention.

The platform’s rising popularity has led to increased scrutiny from several European countries, including France, over security and data breach concerns. The European Union tech regulators have been in contact with Telegram regarding its compliance with new online content legislation.

Telegram CEO Durov accused of drug trafficking

The Moscow Times reported that France’s arrest warrant for Durov includes charges of complicity in drug trafficking, crimes against children, and fraud due to the moderation issues on Telegram and his alleged lack of cooperation with law enforcement.

Telegram has significant influence in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. It has become a crucial source of information about Russia’s war in Ukraine and is widely used by officials from both Moscow and Kyiv. Analysts describe Telegram as "a virtual battlefield" in the ongoing conflict.