Arrested Russian Billionaire Had Sperm Donation Side Hustle

Elon Musk has raised eyebrows by fathering at least 12 children. But that is nothing compared to the billionaire founder of secure messaging app Telegram, Pavel Durov.

The Russian tech mogul, who was arrested in France on Saturday for allegedly allowing criminal activity on Telegram, claimed he first donated sperm to a friend struggling with fertility issues 15 years ago, but continued supplying to sperm banks after being told he was considered “high quality donor material” and it was his “civic duty” to help other couples.

“I have just been told I have over 100 biological kids.” Durov wrote in June in a Telegram post. “How is this possible for a guy who has never been married and prefers to live alone?”

According to his post, the messaging app CEO donated sperm in 12 countries anonymously, but claims to have stopped providing samples. However, an investigation by Russian news site E1. RU, found that Durov's sperm remains available for purchase at a Moscow clinic for 35,000 rubles ($384).

His donor profile, the Russian outlet reported, says he is a vegetarian, likes “getting up early” and speaks nine foreign languages including English, Persian and Latin.

Durov, who is 39 years old and worth an estimated $15.5 billion, announced to his audience on Telegraph that he plans to “open-source” his DNA so that his biological children can connect with each other. Adding “Of course, there are risks, but I don’t regret having been a donor.” He is also the father of five children that he shares with two ex-girlfriends.

In response to Durov’s arrest, Musk, who has come under fire for the lack of content moderation on his platform Twitter/X, posted the hashtag #FreePavel over the weekend, along with the message, “POV: It’s 2030 in Europe and you’re being executed for liking a meme.”