Telegram CEO Pavel Durov is facing severe accusations on two fronts: legal charges over failing to prevent illicit activity on his messaging app and personal allegations of abuse from the mother of his three children, Irina Bolgar.
Durov, a Russian tech billionaire with a net worth of $15.5 billion, was detained in France in August, charged with failing to prevent drug trafficking, child sexual abuse material, and terrorism-related content from spreading on Telegram, an encrypted messaging platform he founded. The case marks the first instance of a significant platform creator being held liable for illegal content on their platform.
In addition to these legal troubles, Durov is now embroiled in a personal controversy after Bolgar, his alleged partner of 10 years, filed criminal complaints accusing him of physically abusing their youngest son and cutting off financial support.
Bolgar, a lawyer, claimed that Durov struck their then-three-year-old son so hard it sent him “across the room” in an incident last year, as reported by ‘Forbes’. A separate complaint was filed this year, alleging Durov had stopped child support payments, which prompted an investigation by Geneva prosecutors, according to ‘The New York Times’.
Bolgar has taken to social media, launching a campaign to support her claims. Over the past week, she has shared multiple Instagram posts featuring slideshows of Durov with their children, accompanied by love songs and lengthy captions condemning his behaviour.
Durov’s arrest in Paris came after years of controversy surrounding Telegram’s use as a hub for illicit activities, including drug sales and the distribution of child abuse material. Despite his vocal stance as a defender of free speech, Durov has faced criticism for not doing enough to curb illegal activity on his platform. Supporters, including former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, have framed his arrest as an attack on free speech.
Bolgar, however, has painted a starkly different image of Durov. “The carefully crafted image of Durov as a defender of freedom collapses when faced with his personal life,” she told *The New York Times*. She highlighted the contrast between his public persona and private actions, accusing him of physical abuse and financial abandonment.
Bolgar claims she and Durov lived a life of luxury, including stays at a $1 million-a-month resort in Sardinia, trips on private planes, and a beachside penthouse in Dubai. The couple met in 2012 in St. Petersburg, bonding over yoga before their relationship became romantic. They later moved in together and had their first child in 2013.
However, Durov’s spokesman disputes Bolgar’s narrative, stating that their relationship was not romantic but transactional. The spokesman claimed that Bolgar, who was Durov’s yoga coach, proposed the idea of having children, and Durov agreed. Together, they had three children, but Durov maintains that there was no romantic involvement.
After selling his stake in the Russian social media platform VKontakte (often referred to as the Russian version of Facebook) and fleeing Russia after refusing to comply with Kremlin demands to hand over encrypted data, Durov briefly returned to Russia with Bolgar. According to Bolgar, Durov’s lifestyle became more extravagant, with him boasting about making easy money from Bitcoin and displaying a growing obsession with his public image.
She claims he hired a photographer to take pictures of him for social media and sent her photos posing with a rented baby lion.
In 2014, Bolgar began to suspect Durov was leading a double life after news reports suggested he had a second family. She said she discovered the truth when their driver delivered holiday presents for children from another family.
Tensions escalated in 2021 when Durov allegedly became physically and psychologically abusive, striking their son twice in the same year, causing him to suffer a concussion and subsequent nightmares. Bolgar claims she refused to move to Dubai at Durov’s request, fearing the UAE’s custody laws could grant him full custody of their children.
The conflict intensified in late 2022 when Bolgar threatened to go to the police, leading Durov to cut off financial support, which he followed through on in November of that year. Durov countered by accusing Bolgar of abusing credit cards linked to his accounts and spending large amounts on luxury items.
In a public spat, Durov controversially claimed on social media that he had over 100 children as a sperm donor. At the same time, Bolgar criticised his failure to take responsibility for his children, stating, “That’s the difference between a sperm donor and a parent.”
Durov’s attorney has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these allegations. Meanwhile, the legal investigations into Durov’s platform and conduct continue to unfold.
