 "Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram")
Telegram was founded by Durov and his brother Nikolai, a programmer and mathematician. It has about 900 million active users and is one of the most popular messaging services | Photo: Shutterstock
French authorities arrested Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at an airport near Paris on Saturday for suspected crimes related to the messaging app, Agence France-Presse reported, citing officials who were not named.
Russian-born Durov was arrested at Le Bourget airport, the report said, citing one of the officials. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed the arrest in a post on Telegram, Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
The 39-year-old billionaire is suspected of not having taken measures to prevent the criminal use of Telegram, AFP said. He is expected to appear in court on Sunday.
Bloomberg News could not independently verify Durov’s arrest. A French National Police official said she had no information about it, while Paris police and prosecutors did not immediately respond to email requests for comment outside regular business hours. Telegram did not respond to a message seeking comment outside regular business hours.
The Russian embassy in Paris has taken steps to “clarify the situation” regarding information about Durov’s detention, although “the businessman’s representatives have not submitted a request” for assistance, the Tass news agency reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Founded by Durov and his brother Nikolai, a programmer and mathematician, Telegram has around 900 million active users and is one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide. Its relatively lax approach to content moderation has led to allegations that it is often used for criminal activity and extremist material.
French agency Ofmin, set up to combat violence against minors, has issued an arrest warrant for Durov, AFP reported. Ofmin is the coordinating authority in a preliminary investigation into alleged crimes including fraud, drug trafficking, cyberbullying, organized crime and the promotion of terrorism, according to AFP.
Durov lives in Dubai and holds dual citizenship of the United Arab Emirates and France, according to the Telegram website. He has a net worth of over $9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The Durov brothers made their fortune by founding the Russian social network VKontakte in 2006. The platform quickly gained popularity among Russians and became the target of a billionaire with ties to the Kremlin. Pavel fled the country and sold his stake in VKontakte.
First published: August 25, 2024 | 8:35 a.m. IS
