Pavel Durov founded Telegram; tell us about him and the reason for his detention.

French media reported that Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, was detained for suspected offenses using the messaging service at an airport on Saturday night outside of Paris.

According to news agency AFP, which cited a source, Durov was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by France’s OFMIN, which is in charge of protecting children from violence. The charges against him included organized crime, drug trafficking, fraud, cyberbullying, and the encouragement of terrorism.

With about 800 million users, the messaging app is well-liked in both Russia and Ukraine.

The Russian embassy in France stated that it had “immediately asked the French authorities for clarification of the reasons and demanded to ensure the protection of his rights and provide consular access” as soon as it learned of Durov’s incarceration. The Telegram message stated that Durov’s attorney was in communication with embassy representatives.

That’s all there is to know about Durov:

Durov established the Russian equivalent of Facebook, VKontakte (VK), a social network, in 2006.

After a disagreement with owners connected to the Kremlin over the network’s management, he later quit the company. It has been alleged that Durov declined to assist authorities in obstructing the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s page on the site.

In 2014, after leaving VK, Durov left the Russian Federation. After contributing $250,000 to the sugar sector in the Caribbean, he was granted citizenship in the Saint Kitts and Nevis island chain. In August 2021, Durov received his French citizenship.

Durov stated that freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and a free market are his top priorities in an interview with American pundit Tucker Carlson this year. He emphasized this in relation to both his personal life and his decision to quit VK more than ten years ago.

When he launched Telegram in 2013, he positioned it as an open, unbiased network that catered to users of various backgrounds and ideologies.

According to Forbes, Durov is the 121st richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of over $15.5 billion.