Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram Messenger, has revealed that he is the biological father of over 100 children worldwide, despite never being married.
In a post on his Telegram channel on Monday evening, the 39-year-old entrepreneur shared the story behind this revelation. About 15 years ago, a friend and his wife, facing fertility issues, asked Durov to donate sperm at a clinic to help them conceive. Although initially skeptical, Durov agreed after the clinic’s director emphasized the high quality of his sperm and the civic duty of helping couples in need.
“I was just told that I have over 100 biological kids. How is this possible for a guy who has never been married and prefers to live alone? Fifteen years ago, a friend approached me with a weird request. He said that he and his wife couldn’t have kids due to a fertility issue and asked me to donate sperm at a clinic for them to have a baby. I laughed before realizing he was dead serious,” Durov recounted.
Durov’s donations have since helped over 100 couples in 12 countries to conceive. Even years after he stopped donating, at least one IVF clinic still has his frozen sperm available for families seeking to have children.
Reflecting on his decision, Durov mentioned that he is considering open-sourcing his DNA to allow his biological children to find him if they wish. He acknowledged potential risks but expressed no regrets, stating, “The shortage of healthy sperm has become an increasingly serious issue worldwide, and I’m proud that I did my part to help alleviate it.” He also encouraged other healthy men to consider donating sperm to support families struggling with infertility.
Pavel Durov, a Russian-born Emirati entrepreneur, was recognized by Forbes in 2022 as the richest expatriate in the UAE and was named the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai by Arabian Business in February 2023.
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