Biography of Pavel Durov | From childhood to the peak of Telegram's success

Childhood to youth of Pavel's life

Pavel Durov was born on October 10, 1984 in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), in the former Soviet Union, into an educated family. Pavel spent part of his childhood in Turin, Italy, due to his father's job, but soon returned to Russia. His father, Valery Durov, was a famous Russian philologist and dean of the Philology Department of Saint Petersburg State University. His mother, Albina Durova, was also a professor at the same university.
Pavel's older brother, Nikolai Durov, is a prominent mathematician and programmer and co-founder of Telegram. He is about 4 years older than Pavel, but from an early age he showed his family his great intelligence. Nikolai is the winner of three gold medals at the World Mathematical Olympiad, three silver medals and one gold medal at the World Computer Olympiad. At the age of 25, he received his first doctorate from St. Petersburg State University.

Durov's education and training process

Durov received his primary education in Italy and secondary education at the D.K. Faddeev Academy High School in St. Petersburg. From a young age, he developed a keen interest in computer programming and, under the influence of his older brother Nikolai, he learned programming skills. Pavel advanced so much in this field that he was able to hack the school's computer network passwords while in high school.
After graduating from high school in 2001, Pavel Durov began studying philology at St. Petersburg State University. During his university years, he was awarded the prestigious Potanin Prize three times and won several prizes in programming and linguistics olympiads. Durov graduated with honors in 2006.
During his studies, Pavel launched two websites: durov.com and spbgu.ru. durov.com was an educational database for courses in his field of study, and spbgu.ru was an online platform for communication between students and university professors.

Durov's projects and honors

Pavel Durov is best known for founding two major projects, VK and Telegram, but his activities are not limited to these two projects. Here are some of the biggest projects that Durov has worked on in the past few years:

VK social network: At the age of 22, he turned VK into one of the largest social networks in Europe. The site, which became known as the Russian Facebook, is still very popular in Russia and neighboring countries.
Telegram messenger: After being forced to leave VK, Pavel Durov created Telegram messenger with the aim of providing a secure, fast and free messaging service. Telegram quickly gained global popularity.
Notcoin project: Although there is no reliable evidence of Durov's role in the creation of the simple but popular Notcoin game, his occasional support for this cryptocurrency has led many to speculate.
TON Blockchain: The TON blockchain, which stands for The Open Network, has become one of the top crypto platforms in the world at the time of writing. There is no information on the exact number of Toncoins held by the Durov.

Additionally, Durov has been praised for his resistance to government pressure and his advocacy for user privacy. Some of his awards and honors include:
• Selected as the Most Promising Leader Under 30 in Northern Europe (2014)
• Joined the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders representing Finland (2017)
• Received the Kazakhstan Journalists’ Union Award for Fighting Censorship (2018)
• Included in Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 years old list (2018)
• Earned the richest person in the United Arab Emirates (2021)

Important quotes from Pavel Durov

Pavel Durov has had a very ups and downs in his life, and as a result, he has had many experiences throughout his life. Let's read below some of his famous quotes, all of which stem from his experiences:
• “The world belongs to those who let go.”
• “Learning foreign languages ​​increases the depth of understanding of the world and opens up unprecedented prospects for learning, development and career advancement.”
• “To be truly free, you must be ready to risk everything for freedom.”
• “Where there is no competition, there is no progress.”
• “Nicotine and alcohol are the most dangerous drugs. I banned advertising cigarettes and alcoholic beverages on VK. Love is also a drug. That is why I do not fall in love.”
• “Communication is overvalued. An hour of solitude is more useful than a week of talking.”
• “I am in favor of small or no government. I think most people would like to have a big government and a big brother (referring to the book 1984) to look after them.”
• “Privacy is not for sale, and human rights should not be compromised for fear or greed.”
• “Money is overvalued because creating is more fun than spending, and the inner state is far more important than the outer state.”

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is Pavel Durov's wealth?
According to Forbes, Pavel Durov's wealth is estimated to be around $15.5 billion in 2024, which places him in the 122nd position of the richest people in the world.

What are Pavel Durov's projects?
The social network VK, the Telegram messenger, the TON blockchain, and possibly the NotCoin cryptocurrency are among Pavel Durov's prominent projects.

Where does Pavel Dorof live?
After fleeing the Russian government, Durov currently lives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which many say is the world's billionaires' paradise.

What cryptocurrencies has Pavel Durov invested in?
In one of his interviews, Pavel Durov announced that he has several hundred million dollars in Bitcoin and TONcoin. In addition, NotCoin users have donated about $6.8 million in NOT to him. He has announced that he will sell it after its price increases 100 times.