Pavel Durov, the Russian-French billionaire and founder of the Telegram messaging app, was reportedly arrested at Bourget Airport near Paris on Saturday evening, August 24. The 39-year-old tech entrepreneur was taken into custody around 8 p.m. local time while traveling aboard his private jet.
According to a report by TF1 TV, Durov’s arrest was linked to an ongoing preliminary police investigation in France. The investigation reportedly focuses on the lack of content moderation on Telegram, which authorities believe has enabled criminal activities to flourish unchecked on the platform. Durov is expected to appear in court on Sunday to address these charges.
Telegram, a widely used encrypted messaging app with nearly one billion users, is particularly popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other former Soviet republics. The platform is considered one of the major social media networks globally, alongside giants like Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and WeChat.
Durov, who holds dual citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates, is estimated by Forbes to have a fortune of $15.5 billion. He has resided in Dubai since 2014, after leaving Russia due to his refusal to comply with government demands to shut down opposition groups on his VK social media platform, which he eventually sold.
