Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has announced plans to leave his $17 billion fortune to his 106 biological children, but only in the year 2055.
In an interview with French magazine Le Point on Thursday, the 40-year-old tech billionaire explained that he wants his children to grow up independent before they receive any money.
“I wrote my will very recently… I decided that my children would not have access to my fortune until a period of thirty years has elapsed, starting from today. I want them to live like normal people, to build themselves up alone, to learn to trust themselves, to be able to create, not to be dependent on a bank account,” Durov said.
He added that he considers all 106 children equal, whether they were conceived naturally or through sperm donations.
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“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 said.
Durov revealed that six of the children were born naturally with three women, while the remaining 100 children were conceived through anonymous sperm donations over the past 15 years in 12 different countries. He first donated sperm to help a friend and later continued doing so through a fertility clinic.
“Six of whom I am the official father, whom I had with three different partners. The others come from my anonymous donation,” he explained.
According to Bloomberg and Forbes, each child could receive between $131 million and $161 million when the inheritance is distributed in 2055.
Durov’s announcement comes as he faces legal issues in France. In August 2024, French authorities detained him at Bourget Airport near Paris after arriving from Azerbaijan in a private jet.