Pavel Durov, the creator of the messaging app Telegram, says he has fathered more than 100 children who will all share his estimated fortune of $13.9 billion (£10.3 billion).
He told French magazine Le Point that all of his children are equal and should have the same rights. Durov doesn’t want them to fight over his money after he is gone.
He claims to be the father of six children with three different women. However, he also explained that he started donating sperm 15 years ago at a clinic to help a friend. The clinic told him more than 100 children have been born through this method in 12 countries.
Durov also repeated that he denies any wrongdoing related to the serious criminal charges he faces in France.
The Russian tech entrepreneur, now living in exile, said that his children will not inherit his money for the next 30 years.
He explained he wants his children to grow up like regular people. He hopes they will learn to trust themselves, work hard, and be independent, rather than depend on money from a bank account.
At age 40, Durov mentioned he made a will because his work involves risks. Defending freedoms can make enemies, even among powerful countries.
His app Telegram is known for privacy. It has more than a billion active users each month.
Durov also spoke about the criminal charges in France. Last year, he was arrested there after being accused of not doing enough to stop illegal activity on the platform.
He denied helping with drug trafficking, child abuse content, or fraud. Telegram has also said it moderates content as needed.
In the interview, Durov called the charges “totally absurd.”
He said just because bad people use Telegram, it doesn’t make the company or him criminals.