Pavel Durov, the billionaire CEO and founder of messaging app Telegram, is facing legal troubles in both France and Switzerland. In France, authorities are investigating an act of violence that Durov allegedly committed against his youngest child in Paris in November 2021. This investigation is separate from the case in Switzerland, where Durov is a suspect in a criminal case filed by his former partner Irina Bolgar. The case alleges that Durov was physically violent towards one of his three children. The criminal complaint was initially refused by the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office but was later allowed to move forward last October.
Durov, who lives in Dubai and is worth an estimated $15.5 billion, has not commented on the allegations. Bolgar and her three children, who were born in Russia and later moved to Latvia and Switzerland, are involved in both civil and criminal cases against Durov. The civil child custody case was decided in Bolgar’s favor in May 2023, and she also filed a civil child support case against Durov in June 2024. Durov and Bolgar never married, and their children were not legally recognized in the UAE due to being born outside of marriage.
Although Durov has not acknowledged his three children with Bolgar, he claimed on Telegram in July to have over 100 biological children from sperm donation. He also reportedly has two older children from a previous relationship. The criminal case in Switzerland, which alleges that Durov harmed his youngest son multiple times between 2021 and 2022, remains ongoing as Durov is in police custody in France. He was arrested at Le Bourget airport outside Paris on Saturday evening and is being investigated for various crimes, including complicity in administering an online platform to enable illicit transactions, distribution of child pornography, selling narcotics, fraud, and money laundering.
The lack of content moderation on Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users, appears to be central to the investigation in France, particularly in the fight against pedocriminality, according to the French agency focused on preventing violence against minors. Telegram has stated that the company abides by EU laws and that Durov has nothing to hide, awaiting a prompt resolution of the situation. Durov’s custody in France was extended by up to 96 hours, allowing authorities more time to determine if he will be charged or released. The case continues to unfold as Durov remains in custody and investigations are ongoing in both France and Switzerland.
