Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, has made a surprising announcement about his $14 billion estate. In his will, Durov has stated that his wealth will be divided equally among his six official children and more than 100 others conceived through his sperm bank donations. Durov, who is 40 years old, said that each of his 106 children will inherit about $132 million.
In an interview with a French publication, he emphasized the importance of treating all his children equally. “I make no difference between my children: there are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations. They are all my children and will all have the same rights.
I don’t want them to tear each other apart after my death,” Durov said. However, Durov has put a long-term condition on the inheritance. None of his children will have access to their share of the fortune until 30 years have passed.
“I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of thirty years has elapsed. I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account,” he explained. Durov revealed that he has six children conceived naturally with three different partners.
Durov’s unique inheritance plan
Additionally, he has fathered at least 100 more children through sperm donations. “The clinic, where I started donating sperm 15 years ago to help a friend, told me that more than 100 babies had been conceived this way in 12 countries,” he said.
Known for his strict personal discipline, Durov follows a rigorous daily workout routine that includes 300 push-ups and 300 squats each day. He avoids alcohol, coffee, tea, sugar, and does not smoke. French authorities have charged Durov with several crimes, including the propagation of child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking.
Durov has denied the charges, calling them “absurd.” He argued that just because criminals use Telegram among other messaging services, it does not implicate the platform’s operators. Durov’s decision to leave his fortune to all his children, including those conceived through sperm donation, raises complex ethical questions. There are concerns about the potential for accidental incest and the psychological impact on individuals who may discover they have numerous half-siblings.
There are also medical risks, such as the spread of genetic disorders. As artificial insemination becomes more common, there is a growing call for better regulation of the industry to limit the number of children from a single donor. Countries like Sweden are collaborating with EU ministers to establish international limits, recognizing the urgency due to rising cases, such as Durov’s.
The conversation surrounding Durov’s prolific procreation also touches on the actions of other billionaires, such as Elon Musk, indicating a broader trend among certain tech moguls. As this story unfolds, it highlights the need for a balanced approach to sperm donation, ensuring the benefits of helping people conceive are weighed against the potential long-term societal impacts.
