Reports suggest that Telegram founder Pavel Durov was arrested in France while on his private jet. The French authorities acted on a warrant related to unspecified charges, detaining the 39-year-old Russian native, who now resides in the UAE. Durov was taken into custody around 8 p.m. French time after arriving from Azerbaijan and is expected to appear in court today.
Durov holds dual citizenship with France and the UAE, and his net worth is estimated to be over $15 billion. He left Russia ten years ago after resisting government demands to shut down opposition groups on his VK social media platform, which he later sold. The situation has drawn the attention of Russia’s embassy in France, which is seeking clarification but has not received any formal requests from Durov’s team.
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Telegram, which Durov launched with his brother Nikolai in 2013, has not yet commented on the arrest. The app is known for its end-to-end encryption and its popularity for creating channels for quick information dissemination. With approximately 900 million active users, Telegram has grown significantly since its inception.
The incident has raised questions about the future of Telegram and the implications for its founder, as the details of the charges against Durov remain unclear. As the situation develops, the tech community and Telegram users worldwide are keenly watching for further updates.
