How this single billionaire quietly fathered 100+ kids worldwide

Pavel Durov has long lived without borders, a globe-trotting billionaire with a flair for shirtless photos, baby goats, and a strong belief in digital freedom. For over a decade, the Russian-born founder and CEO of Telegram has styled himself as an anti-establishment figure, securing private communication for over 900 million users while refusing to bow to government pressure, democratic or otherwise.

Durov, who was arrested in Paris last year over allegations that his platform is being used for illicit activities including drug trafficking and the distribution of child sexual abuse material, is now making headlines for something far more personal: fathering over 100 children across 12 countries through years of anonymous sperm donation.

Unmarried and living alone by choice, the 40-year-old billionaire confirmed on his Telegram channel and in a recent interview with the French political magazine Le Point that he has six children with three partners, and over 90 others conceived via IVF using his sperm.

Durov is even funding free treatments for those willing to use it. He sees it as a civic duty, recalling how a clinic once told him his “high-quality donor material” was in short supply. Now, he says, he wants to help destigmatise sperm donation and leave his estimated USD 14 billion fortune equally to all of his biological children.

“They are all my children and will all have the same rights! "I don’t want them to tear each other apart after my death,” he told Le Point.

THE RISE OF PRONATALISM

Durov’s quest to expand his genetic legacy echoes a rising trend among tech moguls. Tesla chief and the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has repeatedly warned of a “population collapse” and has fathered 11 children, advocating that intelligent and capable people should have more offspring.

This ideology, known as pronatalism, views procreation as a civic or even evolutionary responsibility, particularly for those with wealth or intelligence.

However, critics warn of ethical pitfalls, from the risk of accidental incest to psychological distress among donor-conceived children.

Despite growing ethical concerns, there are still no strict global laws regulating how many children can be conceived from a single sperm donor. While countries like France enforce national limits, others, including Russia and the United States, have no legal caps on the number of donations one individual can make.