Pavel Durov
@durov
Founder, CEO at @telegram (2013), founder, ex-CEO of @vkontakte (2006), part-time troll.
This trend in the EU is alarming. I've seen German requests to prosecute users for merely criticizing government officials. Calling a politician a 'pig' or 'lizard' is now treated as a crime. Telegram doesn't comply with such demands — we stand against political persecution.
In Europe, thousands are being convicted for the crime of criticizing their own governments. This Orwellian message won't fool the United States. Censorship is not freedom.
At this point, any tech company can be declared a “criminal gang” in France. A decade of efforts to attract tech investment is being undone by a few bureaucrats advancing their careers and political agendas — at the expense of the French people.
French authorities have launched a politically-motivated criminal investigation into X over the alleged manipulation of its algorithm and alleged “fraudulent data extraction.” X categorically denies these allegations. This investigation, instigated by French politician Eric…
Rare Telegram gifts, once bought for just a few dollars, can now sell for over $100K. But this surge in value has a dark side. Scammers are blackmailing users, trying to force them to hand over these collectibles. If you’ve faced this, lmk in my tg: t.me/durov/436
French bureaucrats are waging a crusade against free speech and tech progress. Using criminal probes instead of clear rules to regulate internet companies will scare off investment and damage the country’s economic growth for decades.
🚨 BREAKING: French prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into X over allegations that the company owned by billionaire Elon Musk manipulated its algorithms for the purposes of “foreign interference.” 🔗 ow.ly/ko6V50Wom0H
📚 If you’re a student choosing what to focus on, pick MATH. It will teach you to relentlessly rely on your own brain, think logically, break down problems, and solve them step by step in the right order. That’s the core skill you’ll need to build companies and manage projects.
If you want to reach your full potential and maintain clarity of mind, stay away from addictive substances. My success and health come from 20+ years of abstaining from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, pills, and illegal drugs. Short-term pleasure isn’t worth your future.
🎤 @SnoopDogg’s digital collectibles drop on Telegram sold out in just 30 minutes today, generating $12M in sales. Nearly 1M unique NFTs inspired by Snoop’s iconic style. Blockchain minting and the secondary market go live in 21 days. It’s going to be wild.

Where yall at? 🎥 Official @telegram song music video youtu.be/sknGyx2vRg4
The 4th of July Telegram gifts sold out within minutes. It took just 45 seconds for all 15,000 🦅 Crystal Eagles (around $100 each) to be claimed. The 300,000 🗽 Statues of Liberty were gone in under 5 minutes. All 500,000 🔥 Liberty Torches sold out in just 10 minutes.
👨💻 Telegram’s looking for an Android dev — who’ll earn $1M / year after tax. 🥇 The only way in is to win our coding contest that ends on July 11. The task? Implement the animation from this mockup in our open-source Android app. 🤖 t.me/contest/420
🎥 My first attempt at recording a video in French (at the request of @LePoint 🇫🇷). Forgive my French! 😉
The biggest interview I’ve ever done — and the first I’ve given to the French press. People deserve to be informed! I’m told an English version is also coming, so stay tuned.
🔴 EXCLUSIF. Ses démêlés avec la justice française, ses échanges avec la DGSE, ses 106 enfants… Pavel Durov, créateur de #Telegram, brise le silence ➡️ l.lepoint.fr/bqY @telegram @guillaumgrallet @durov
As governments demand more control over online platforms, Pavel @Durov lays out his vision for a secure, decentralized future where privacy and encryption are tools to protect freedom. Watch his powerful conversation on the 2025 #OsloFF stage:
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.” — Ronald Reagan.
9+ months after I learned about the investigation against me in France, I still don’t understand why it began. At first, the authorities claimed Telegram didn’t respond to French requests — but it turned out they’d been ignoring the EU and French law, and hadn’t sent us a single…