Telegram founder Pavel Durov has once again sparked global discussion with his unconventional views on parenthood and legacy. The Russian tech billionaire has openly stated that he is willing to fund IVF treatments for unmarried women under the age of 37 who wish to conceive using his donated sperm.
In a conversation on Lex Fridman’s podcast earlier, the 41-year-old entrepreneur revealed that any child biologically linked to him will be entitled to a share of his estimated $17 billion fortune, provided they prove DNA and wait 30 years after his passing to claim inheritance.
Durov claims he has already fathered over 100 children through sperm donation, aside from his six children born to three different partners. He began donating sperm in 2010 to help a friend facing fertility issues and continued after realizing the global decline in fertility rates and shortage of “high-quality sperm,” according to the New York Post report.
Durov’s donations are stored at the AltraVita Clinic in Moscow, where reportedly only unmarried women under 37 are eligible to use it. Speaking about his decision, he highlighted environmental concerns like plastic pollution impacting male fertility, calling sperm donation a form of “civic duty.” He hopes more healthy men will step forward to help address the crisis.
In another interview with French magazine Le Point, Durov emphasized that he does not differentiate between any of his children, saying each biological child will receive an equal share of inheritance, as long as they establish their genetic connection to him.
Meanwhile, a report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that Durov’s sperm has garnered massive interest, with dozens of highly educated and healthy women responding to Moscow clinic advertisements offering access to it. A former clinic doctor said the women specifically sought children from “a certain kind of man,” admiring Durov’s traits as a father figure.