Pavel Durov
Pavel Valeryevich Durov (Russian: Павел Валерьевич Дуров; born 10 October 1984) is a Russian-born French-Kittitian–Emirati entrepreneur who is known for founding the social networking site VK and the app Telegram Messenger. He is the younger brother of Nikolai Durov. As of 29 September 2022, his net worth is estimated at US$15.1 billion. In 2022, he was recognized as the richest person in the United Arab Emirates, according to Forbes. In February 2023, Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai.
Pavel Durov | |
|---|---|
Павел Дуров | |
| Born | 10 October 1984 |
| Citizenship | Russia (1984–present) Saint Kitts and Nevis (2015–present) France (2021–present) UAE (2021–present) |
| Alma mater | Saint Petersburg State University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Known for | Founding VK in 2006 and Telegram Messenger in 2013 |
| Title | CEO of Telegram Messenger |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Nikolai Durov (brother) |
For some years after his dismissal as CEO of VK in 2014, the Durov brothers travelled the world in self-imposed exile as citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis.
In 2017, Pavel joined the World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leaders as a representative of Finland. Durov was naturalized as French in August 2021 and now has European Union citizenship.