Pavel Durov, co-founder and CEO of Telegram has made a startling revelation. In a post on his Telegram channel, Durov disclosed that he has over 100 biological children in 12 countries. This revelation comes from his past as an active sperm donor, a decision influenced by a friend’s request 15 years ago.
Durov, who prefers to live alone and has never been married, shared the story of how he became a sperm donor. A friend approached him with a unique request. The friend and his wife were struggling with infertility and asked Durov to donate sperm at a clinic to help them have a baby. Initially, Durov found the request amusing but soon realized the seriousness of the situation. He agreed to help, which led to a more extensive involvement in sperm donation.
During his visit to the clinic, Durov was informed that he was considered “high-quality donor material.” This motivated him to continue donating sperm to help other couples around the world who faced similar fertility challenges. Although Durov has since stopped donating, an IVF clinic still stores his frozen sperm, available for anonymous use by families wanting children.
Durov expressed his pride in contributing to alleviating the global shortage of healthy sperm. He acknowledged the risks but emphasized that he has no regrets about his decision. In fact, he plans to open-source his DNA to make it easier for his biological children to find each other. He believes that sharing his DNA openly could foster connections among his offspring and provide them with a sense of identity and belonging.
One of Durov’s main reasons for revealing his history as a sperm donor is to destigmatize the concept and encourage more healthy men to consider donating. He hopes to provide more options for families struggling with infertility. Durov concluded his message with a call to action, urging others to “defy convention — redefine the norm.”
At 39 years old, Pavel Durov resides in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He is well-known for his significant contributions to the tech industry, including the creation of Russia’s largest social network, Vkontakte, when he was just 22. With over 5.82 million subscribers on his Telegram channel, Durov’s influence extends far and wide, and his latest revelation has certainly sparked widespread discussion.
