Shocking! The founder of Telegram plans to distribute his $17 billion fortune to 100 anonymous descendants

Author: BitpushNews

In recent days, the crypto and tech circles have been buzzing with a piece of news: Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, announced that he is preparing to distribute his $17 billion fortune to a group of special descendants—beyond his six biological children, there are also 100 "non-traditional" children born through anonymous sperm donation.

These children are spread across 12 countries, and when they grow up, each will receive a substantial inheritance. However, he has set a threshold: all children must wait until they are 30 years old to access this money. In his view, this encourages them to "first rely on themselves to achieve something."

This news first came from the New York Post but quickly spread across the internet. The billionaire, often referred to as the "Russian Zuckerberg," has sparked controversy once again, bringing his influence in the crypto world back into the public eye.

From Programmer to Crypto Hermit

Durov is known as an "entrepreneur without a country," living a completely "digital nomadic" lifestyle. He was banned from Telegram in Russia for refusing government surveillance demands and was briefly detained by the French government for illegal content on his platform. However, these events did not shake his firm beliefs in "decentralization" and "free communication."

Born in 1984, Durov was the founder of VKontakte (VK), often called "Russia's Zuckerberg." In 2014, he was pressured by the Russian government to hand over user data, ultimately forced to sell his shares and leave Russia.

After leaving VK, he went international and founded Telegram, a communication tool that emphasizes privacy and security.

According to TechCrunch, in 2024, Telegram's revenue surpassed $1 billion, marking the company's first annual profit, a significant milestone. TechCrunch reported that this financial success was due to the introduction of premium subscriptions and advertising revenue. By the end of the year, Telegram's cash reserves exceeded $500 million (excluding its crypto assets).

Durov also launched the TON (The Open Network) blockchain project in 2018, raising $1.7 billion, one of the largest fundraising efforts at the time. Notably, well-known Silicon Valley venture capital firms—Sequoia Capital, Benchmark, Ribbit, Draper, and VY Capital—invested over $400 million in TON.

Although he was later charged by the U.S. SEC for unregistered fundraising and paid approximately $1.85 billion in fines and refunds, the TON project did not stop; it was taken over and continued by the community. Later, Telegram officially supported Toncoin, deeply integrating it into the app, with daily trading volumes exceeding one million and TVL surpassing $400 million.

Durov once said, "I still have a vision for TON; it's just that the community is now completing it." Although he has "stepped back" from the TON project, everyone understands that the reason this chain remains in the spotlight is due to its deep ties with Telegram, which belongs to Durov.

A Minimalist Billionaire, a Digital Father of Many

Pavel Durov's lifestyle is as radical as his career.

He does not drink alcohol, eat meat, or wear colorful clothes; he has been a vegetarian for years and dresses entirely in black, exercising daily and avoiding social activities.

He works solely on an iPad, with Telegram being one of the few tools he publicly uses. Pavel Durov once posted a photo of himself "naked hugging a goat" during a holiday, expressing his desire "to connect with nature":

In matters of family and marriage, he also takes an unconventional approach. He opposes traditional family structures, believing they constrain personal freedom. He currently has six biological children with three partners; additionally, over 100 descendants have been born through anonymous sperm donation, overseen and funded by a trust fund.

However, Durov's "father" role has been controversial. Between 2023 and 2024, he faced two criminal lawsuits—three mothers of his children accused him of refusing to provide financial support, concealing a double life, and even committing violence against his then three-year-old son…

In fact, Durov is not an isolated case. A recent study from Harvard University shows that the birth rate among the top 1% of wealthy families in the U.S. has surpassed that of the middle class and continues to rise.

For instance, Elon Musk currently has 14 children. He has publicly expressed "concerns about a population crisis," emphasizing that reproduction is a social responsibility of the elite. From Li Ka-shing's family trust to the Rothschilds' transnational family network, traditional wealthy families have long viewed the "multiple children strategy" as a core means of wealth inheritance.

Behind this is a ruthless business logic: wealth cannot be taken away, and children not only continue the bloodline but also have the opportunity to become successors. From Li Ka-shing to the Rothschild family, the wealthy have long been accustomed to using the "multiple children strategy" to spread risk, expand influence, and solidify family territory.

An Inheritance Experiment or a "Digital Utopia"?

Durov's method of inheritance is not just about distributing wealth but aims to explore a new model of human relationships. He redefines "father-son relationships" and "inheritance systems" through anonymity, trusts, and delayed release.

These children do not know each other, are born in different places, and come from diverse cultural backgrounds; 30 years ago, they were just a string of anonymous genes; 30 years later, they collectively own a vast fortune. This "future community," which does not rely on blood ties or emotions, resembles a kind of inheritance version in the crypto world.

In the crypto world, this mechanism is not unfamiliar: locking, DAOs, smart contracts, time incentive mechanisms… Durov has brought these concepts into real life, as if validating one thing—"if the rules are well written, trust does not need to rely on people."

This will undoubtedly spark controversy—ethics, legality, and emotions are difficult to define. But it is undeniable that in the Web3 world, this may be the closest reality model to a "decentralized family system."