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French President Emmanuel Macron has broken his silence on the arrest of Telegram’s Pavel Durov, denying any political connection to the tech mogul’s surprise detention at a Paris airport.
As Durov enters his second day in custody, Macron’s statement has raised further questions about the events leading up to the arrest and what lies ahead for the tech entrepreneur.
The mysterious detention of Telegram founder Pavel Durov has sparked a flurry of questions, with many wondering about the motivations behind his sudden arrest. According to a source with knowledge of the case, Durov’s custody has been prolonged until Wednesday, fueling further speculation about the circumstances surrounding his apprehension.
Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old billionaire behind Telegram, faces allegations of neglecting to rein in the proliferation of illicit content on his platform, which boasts an impressive 900 million users. However, the company has vehemently denied these accusations, setting the stage for a contentious showdown.
From Soviet roots to global tech prominence, Pavel Durov’s life has been a fascinating trajectory. Born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, to a family of scholars, Durov spent his childhood in Italy before returning to Russia to revolutionize its social media scene with VKontakte (VK) in his early 20s.
After bidding farewell to Russia a decade ago, Pavel Durov embarked on a new venture, founding Telegram and amassing a staggering fortune in the process. With an estimated net worth of $15.5 billion, as reported by Forbes magazine, Durov’s success story is a testament to his innovative spirit and business acumen.
Read also: No Skeletons In The Closet — Telegram’s Durov After Arrest
In a post on X to address what he called “false information” concerning the case, Macron said Durov’s arrest “took place as part of an ongoing judicial investigation”.
“It is in no way a political decision. It is up to the judges to rule on the matter,” he wrote in a highly unusual comment on a legal case.
With Russian nationality and French citizenship, Pavel Durov embodies the spirit of global connectivity, effortlessly straddling two cultures and identities that fuel his innovative ventures and entrepreneurial pursuits.
