Tech Founder Pledges to Leave $17 Billion Fortune to His 106 Children

Pavel Durov is leaving a special message in his family group chat.

Panteleimon (Pavel) Durov, the creator of Telegram, has announced that he plans to distribute his immense wealth, approximately $17.1 billion according to Forbes, among his 106 offspring evenly.

Durov, aged 40, clarified in an interview with Le Point, which was published on June 19th, that he regards all his offspring equally – regardless of whether they were conceived naturally or through sperm donation. He considers them all as his children and wishes for them to share equal rights. After his passing, he hopes they will not fight amongst themselves.

Certainly, the prominent Russian tech entrepreneur clarified that he is the legal father of six children from three distinct partners. Additionally, approximately 15 years ago, he offered assistance to a friend by donating sperm, leading to him becoming the father of around 100 children in over a dozen countries.

Durov, the co-founder of Telegram, mentioned that his children won’t be able to claim their inheritance until 30 years after the date of this interview with a French publication, as he wishes to distribute his wealth equally but not immediately.

He went on to say, “I wish for them to lead ordinary lives, to grow independently, to develop self-trust, and to have the capacity to produce things, rather than relying on their bank balance.

This disclosure transpired several months following the billionaire’s arrest and indictment in France for allegedly facilitating illegal activities such as child pornography, drug trafficking, and other crimes on his platform last August. Currently out on bail, Durov may face imprisonment of up to 10 years if found guilty, as reported by the New York Times.

Regarding his increasing wealth, Durov is not unique among billionaires who have publicly expressed the intention of passing on their assets to their relatives. In fact, Bill Gates – father to Jennifer (28), Rory (25), and Phoebe (22) – has disclosed that he will be leaving only a small fraction, less than one percent, of his estimated $116 billion fortune to his family, which translates to more than a billion dollars.

During an interview on Raj Shamani’s ‘Figuring Out’ podcast in March, he clarified that his family situation isn’t a dynasty. He mentioned that giving them a larger share wouldn’t benefit them. Instead of pushing them to manage Microsoft, he wants to provide them the opportunity to earn and achieve independently, so they can make their own mark and not be overshadowed by his good fortune.

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