Telegram Founder Arrested in France: Durov Detained at Paris Airport
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, was reportedly arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on Saturday evening. The arrest, reported by French television channel TF1, was made based on an outstanding warrant issued in France.
Durov, 39, was travelling aboard his private jet from Azerbaijan and was apprehended around 8pm local time (6pm GMT). He is a dual citizen of France and the United Arab Emirates and currently resides in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered.
The Russian-born entrepreneur, who Forbes estimates to have a net worth of $15.5 billion (£12 billion), left his home country in 2014 after refusing to comply with demands to remove opposition groups from his VK social media platform, which he later sold.
Telegram has not yet commented on the arrest. However, the Russian embassy in France has confirmed that they are "taking immediate steps" to clarify the situation.
TASS news agency, citing a representative from the Russian embassy, reported that while there had been no contact from Durov's team, the embassy is actively seeking information regarding the arrest.
Durov and his brother Nikolai founded Telegram in 2013, and the messaging platform now boasts over 900 million active users worldwide. Telegram's popularity stems from its end-to-end encrypted messaging capabilities, which ensure user privacy, and its "channels" feature that allows for rapid dissemination of information to followers.
Further details surrounding the arrest warrant and the specific charges against Durov are yet to be released. The incident has sparked widespread speculation and concern within the tech community, with many awaiting official statements from both Telegram and French authorities.