Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of Telegram, was arrested on Saturday evening at France’s Bourget airport, according to TF1. The arrest, which took place as Durov was disembarking from his private jet, has generated considerable buzz on social media, including on Telegram itself. However, official details remain sparse as neither Telegram nor France’s national anti-fraud office (ONAF) has responded to inquiries.
The arrest stems from a French warrant related to an ongoing police investigation. French authorities reportedly accuse Durov of being complicit in illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and child pornography, due to Telegram’s alleged lack of content moderation and reluctance to cooperate with law enforcement.
This development is likely to intensify the debate on the responsibilities of messaging apps concerning user-generated content. Forbes estimates Durov’s net worth at $15.5 billion. Although originally from Russia, he left the country in 2014 following governmental pressure to disclose data on Ukrainian protest leaders from his previous social network, Vkontakte. Durov now resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered, with his jet arriving from Azerbaijan.
Telegram, which Durov claims has 950 million active users and aims to reach 1 billion this year, operates with a notably small team of about 30 engineers. This small team underscores Durov’s critical role in the company's operations.
