Foreign media: Telegram CEO knew he was wanted by France but still decided to go to Paris

ChainCatcher news, according to the French newspaper Le Monde, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov was arrested while accompanied by bodyguards and assistants. He arrived in Paris on a private jet from Baku and is expected to spend at least one night in Paris. The billionaire was aware that he was wanted in France but still decided to travel to Paris. Previously, Pavel Durov obtained French citizenship through a special procedure in 2021 and currently holds dual citizenship in France and Russia.

It is reported that Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai launched Telegram in 2013, which is dedicated to protecting user privacy. In a rare interview conducted in Dubai in April, Pavel Durov stated that he faced immense pressure from Russian authorities when he created the social network VK, which led him to the idea of launching encrypted messaging. He left Russia in 2014 and subsequently attempted to settle in Berlin, London, Singapore, and San Francisco, eventually establishing Telegram's headquarters in Dubai.