Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested at Paris’ Le Bourget airport on the evening of August 24, 2024. The arrest occurred as Durov disembarked from his private jet following a search warrant issued by authorities.

The operation was reportedly carried out by French intelligence, but this information has not been officially confirmed. The arrest took place around 8 p.m., according to local reports. Durov, 39, was accompanied by his bodyguard and a woman at the time of his arrest, French portal TF1 Info reported.

The exact charges against Durov have not been disclosed and authorities have not yet released details of the evidence that led to the search warrant. The circumstances of his arrest remain unclear and raise significant questions about the potential consequences for Durov and his company.

Durov, born October 10, 1984 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Russia, is a prominent figure in the technology and media sectors. He is best known as the founder of the social network VKontakte (VK) and the widely used messaging app Telegram.

VK, which Durov co-founded with his brother Nikolai in 2006, became Russia’s most popular social network. However, Durov’s tenure at VK was marked by conflicts with Russian authorities over content censorship and data demands. In 2014, under increasing pressure, he was forced to sell his stake in VK and leave the company.

After leaving VK, Durov and his brother founded Telegram in 2013. The cloud-based messaging app has gained significant popularity worldwide since its launch.