Billionaire Telegram founder leaves his $14 billion fortune to the 100+ children he’s fathered—which means $132 million per child

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, revealed that over 100 children he fathered will inherit part of his massive fortune, which is nearly $14 billion. This includes six confirmed children from three partners and at least 100 others born from his sperm donations in 12 countries. Each could potentially receive around $132 million.

In a recent interview, Durov stated, “I treat all my children equally; those who are biologically connected to me through donations are just as important as my biological kids.” He plans to ensure they don’t have access to this inheritance for 30 years, wanting them to live independently and learn self-reliance.

The clinic where Durov donated sperm, Give Legacy, indicates that whether these children know about their potential windfall depends on the anonymity of the donation. Testing can confirm if he is their biological father.

Durov, a Russian entrepreneur who started Telegram in 2013 to provide free speech, faced legal issues in France in 2024 for allegedly allowing criminal activities on the platform, although he denies any wrongdoing.

Unlike Durov, wealthy figures like Bill Gates and Laurene Powell Jobs plan to leave minimal wealth to their children, emphasizing hard work and independence. Gates intends to leave less than 1% of his fortune to his kids, while Fieri stated his children must earn their way to any inheritance.