Telegram founder Durov to cover IVF costs for women using his donated sperm

Pavel Durov so far has six children from three partners and has more than 100 other children in 12 countries through sperm donation

Telegram founder Pavel Durov has said he will fully pay for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment for women aged 37 or below who want to use his sperm, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

 

So far, Durov has six children from three partners and has more than 100 other children in 12 countries through sperm donation.

 

Speaking to French news outlet Le Point in June this year, Durov said all his 100-plus children will eventually get a share of his wealth. "I make no difference between my children," he said.

 

The Russian business tycoon is worth nearly $14 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He founded Telegram in 2013 after earlier starting the Russian social media platform VK. Telegram is one of the most widely used messaging platforms with over 1 billion active users worldwide.

Why does Durov donate sperm?

Durov, who first donated sperm to help a friend who wanted children, continued the practice because he wanted to help address a shortage of high-quality sperm. Sergei Yakovenko, director of the Altravita Clinic and Durov’s friend, reportedly told him that sharing good genes is a social responsibility because male infertility is increasing.

 

In an interview with a French magazine, Durov said sperm counts are falling worldwide due to pollution from plastics. He added that he was proud to help reduce this problem.

 

While Durov no longer donates sperm directly, the samples from his previous donations are still stored at the Altravita Clinic in Moscow. In a Telegram post in July 2024, Durov said, "This sperm is still available."

 

To avoid legal problems, only unmarried women aged 37 or below can use his sperm. The clinic offers selected embryos that are free from genetic disorders, mainly to wealthy Russian and foreign clients.

Durov’s arrest in France

Durov was also arrested last year. In August 2024, he was detained at Le Bourget airport and charged with several violations linked to content on Telegram. This was the first time a social media company founder was arrested over content shared on their platform. After several days of questioning, he was charged with failing to control extremist and terrorist content. He was later released on bail of $5.6 million.