# Pavel Durov

> Pavel Durov is the co-founder and CEO of Telegram and the co-founder and former CEO of VKontakte (VK), which he led from 2006 to 2014. Based in Dubai, he has built his public identity around privacy, ownership and resistance to censorship, while facing scrutiny over platform accountability.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Telegram
- **Organizations:** Telegram, VK.com (co-founder and CEO, 2006-2014)
- **From:** Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Soviet Union (now Russia)
- **Nationality:** Russian, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Emirati and French citizenship
- **Education:** English and translation studies; graduated in 2006, Saint Petersburg State University
- **Known for:** Co-founded VK in 2006 and served as CEO until 2014., Co-founded Telegram in 2013 with Nikolai Durov., Announced that Telegram surpassed one billion monthly active users in March 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1984** — Born in Leningrad on October 10.
- **2006** — Graduates from university and co-founds VKontakte.
- **2011** — Refuses demands to remove opposition groups from VK.
- **2013** — Launches Telegram with brother Nikolai; iOS app debuts August 14.
- **2014** — Sells his remaining VK stake, leaves the CEO role in April and leaves Russia.
- **2017** — Telegram team establishes its base in Dubai.
- **2020** — Telegram settles SEC charges over the Gram token offering.
- **2022** — Telegram announces 700 million monthly active users and launches Premium.
- **2024** — Arrested in France and placed under formal investigation; disputes allegations.
- **2025** — Announces more than one billion Telegram monthly users; French travel ban lifted in November.
- **2026** — Russian authorities announce terrorism-related charges, which Durov rejects; Telegram sponsors Codeforces.

## Achievements

- Co-founded VK in 2006 and served as CEO until 2014.
- Co-founded Telegram in 2013 with Nikolai Durov.
- Announced that Telegram surpassed one billion monthly active users in March 2025.
- Announced $547 million in Telegram profit for 2024.
- Donated $1 million to the Wikimedia Foundation, as recorded by Wikimedia.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — On September 11, announced Telegram sponsorship of Codeforces and said his companies had supported it since 2010.
- **2026-09** — On September 6, said Telegram had awarded over $2.222 million in a month across competitions and AI and informatics olympiads.
- **2026-08** — On August 24, said the French investigation remained ongoing and disputed its basis.
- **2026-08** — On August 18, said Telegram had applied for the .gram domain zone; described potential features conditional on ICANN approval.
- **2026-07** — Russian authorities announced aiding-terrorism charges and sought international arrest. Durov rejected the allegations and characterised the action as surveillance and censorship pressure.

## Links

- Website: https://t.me/durov
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/durov
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/durov/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/501012028

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/pavel-durov
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21