Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced that he will cover the full cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for women aged 37 or younger who wish to use his sperm, according to The Wall Street Journal. Durov, who has six children with three partners, has reportedly fathered over 100 children across 12 countries through sperm donation. In an interview with French outlet Le Point in June, he stated that all of his children will receive a share of his wealth, emphasizing that he treats them equally.

The Russian entrepreneur, valued at nearly $14 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, founded Telegram in 2013 after launching the Russian social media platform VK. Telegram now has over 1 billion active users globally. Durov began donating sperm to help a friend who wanted children and continued to do so to address the shortage of high-quality sperm. Sergei Yakovenko, director of Moscow’s Altravita Clinic and Durov’s friend, reportedly told him that sharing good genes is a social responsibility, citing the rise of male infertility. Durov has also highlighted declining sperm counts worldwide due to plastic pollution and expressed pride in contributing to the solution.

Although Durov no longer donates sperm directly, his previous donations remain stored at Altravita Clinic. In July 2024, he confirmed via Telegram that the sperm is still available. For legal reasons, only unmarried women aged 37 or younger can use his donations, and the clinic provides selected embryos free from genetic disorders, primarily to wealthy Russian and international clients.

Durov was arrested in France in August 2024 at Le Bourget airport, facing charges related to content on Telegram—marking the first time a social media founder was detained over platform content. He was accused of failing to control extremist and terrorist material but was released on $5.6 million bail after several days of questioning.