Media: Telegram founder rejects assistance from Russia, UAE

Born in Saint Petersburg, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, has stated that he left Russia in 2014 due to increasing tensions with the Kremlin.

Durov recounts that he refused to provide the contact details of Ukrainian pro-democracy activists on VKontakte, the social media platform he created before Telegram, during the 2013-14 Euromaidan protests, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media. .

In addition to holding French and Russian citizenship, Durov is also a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, where he resides and manages Telegram, and of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a Caribbean island nation that offers citizenship through investment. Both Russia and the UAE extended diplomatic assistance to Durov, which he declined, according to a French government official.

“The individual in question declined Russian consular protection and an Emirati consular visit but agreed to keep the Emirati embassy informed about his situation,” the official stated. “We are coordinating with French authorities regarding this case and Pavel Durov’s representatives,” an official from the UAE diplomatic service added.

Durov, with an estimated net worth of over $15 billion, is not widely connected with the Parisian elite comprising bankers, investors, and entrepreneurs. “It’s almost as if he is a non-entity,” commented a former French finance ministry official. However, he does have a connection with French President Emmanuel Macron dating back to the early days of Macron’s presidency, when Macron was actively encouraging global tech leaders to invest in France.

As part of this initiative, Macron extended an offer of French citizenship to Durov. “We decided in 2018, I believe—it is a decision I fully stand by,” Macron said during a trip to Serbia on August 29. “I granted Mr. Durov French citizenship, and he learned French.” Macron noted that this offer was part of a broader program that also included offering citizenship to athletes, artists, and at least one other tech entrepreneur, Evan Spiegel, the American founder of Snap Inc. “I believe this is very beneficial for our country, and I intend to continue with this approach,” Macron added. A senior French official involved in tech policy remarked that cases like Durov’s are uncommon. “I’ve worked extensively to assist entrepreneurs with matters like visa grants, but citizenship issues rarely arise,” the official said. “So, the Durov case was truly remarkable.”

According to the French official journal, Durov was officially granted citizenship in 2021. However, someone who spoke with the Telegram CEO following his arrest noted that he spoke very little French.