(Wake Up Singapore) - Pavel Durov, the founder of the messaging app Telegram, surprised many people with a very unusual announcement. The 41-year-old billionaire said he had fathered more than 100 biological children in at least 12 countries through sperm donation.
He also revealed that these children could one day receive an equal share of his large fortune, if they can prove their DNA connection to him.
A Personal Story Turns Global
Durov, who was born in Russia, said he began donating sperm around 2010. At first, he wanted to help a close friend who could not have a child. Later, he continued donating anonymously at a fertility clinic in Moscow called AltraVita. Over time, the number of children born through his donations grew much larger than most people expected.
Durov explained that he never planned to keep this information secret forever. He said the topic became public after he spoke openly during interviews in mid-2024.
Free IVF and a Special Campaign
In the summer of 2024, the fertility clinic launched an unusual campaign. It promoted Durov’s donated sperm as having “high genetic compatibility.” The clinic also offered free IVF treatment for women under the age of 37. A former doctor from the clinic said the women had to be unmarried to avoid legal problems.
The clinic’s website even showed a banner with Durov’s photo next to the Telegram logo. The campaign attracted attention because it looked more like a technology advertisement than a medical one.
Equal Inheritance for All Children
Durov later confirmed that all his biological children would receive equal inheritance shares. In an interview with a French magazine on 12 October, he said DNA proof would be required. He repeated this idea on the Lex Fridman podcast in October, explaining that the process could happen many years in the future.
Forbes estimated Durov’s net worth at about $17 billion. Much of this wealth is connected to Telegram, which he plans to leave to a nonprofit foundation. He also owns Bitcoin that he bought in 2013.
Messages, Pranks, and Reactions
After the announcement, Durov said he received many messages from people claiming to be his children. To help real biological children connect in the future, he said he plans to open-source his DNA data.
Durov explained that he donated sperm because of a global shortage of healthy sperm. He shared this view in a Telegram post in 2024.
By late October this year, the story had spread worldwide, turning a private medical choice into one of the most talked-about billionaire stories of the year.
By Ella Chan
December 31, 2025
