Not a Sheikh or Prince, Dubai’s richest man is from Russia, has net worth of whopping Rs…

Dubai is known for people with luxury and luxury lifestyles around the world. And surprisingly, the richest is not a sheikh or a prince, but a Russian technology entrepreneur. Sometimes we are talking about Pavel Durov, also called Mark Zuckerberg of Russia. He was born in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg, Russia). His father was Valery Semenovich Durov, a philolological science doctor who has been teaching at St. Petersburg State University for more than twenty years until 2013. Durov’s brother Nikolai is a mathematician and programmer, and two of them have established several popular platforms. Durov spent most of his childhood in Italy because of his father’s work before returning to Russia in 2001.

Why did Pavel Durov leave Russia?

Inspired by Zuckerberg’s success, Durov founded Vkontakte, Russia’s largest social network in 2006 with his brother Nikolai and others. As the CEO, Durov rejected the Russian government’s demands to share user data or censorship opposition content, which led to conflicts. In 2013, he sold his share in the company and left Russia, claiming that the platform was taken over by the government allies. In the same year, Durov founded Telegram, an instant messaging platform with more than 1 billion (100 Crore) active users per month. The practice is globally and is particularly popular in Russia, India, Brazil and Southeast Asian countries.

What is the net value of Pavel Durov?

Durov shares five children with two old partners. In July 2024, he claimed that he had more than 100 children in a dozen countries through sperm donation. “Even if my role is quite small, I am proud to help many people start families. It is a bit strange to think that I have too many biological children there. But most of them will probably not meet. But it seems like a civilian task has been performed.” Durov has Russia, France, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Caribbean Nation Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship. According to Forbes, the estimated net value of Durov made the US $ 17.1 billion (on 1.5 Lakh Crore) and made it the richest man in the UAE.