Telegram CEO Arrested in France

 CEO of Telegram Messenger, Pavel Durov, has been arrested in France. The Russian- Emirati entrepreneur was arrested by French Police shortly after his private jet landed at The Le Bourget Airport on the evening of Saturday 24th August 2024. According to sources, Mr Durov had been targeted by an arrest warrant in France as part of a preliminary police investigation which was focused on a lack of moderators on Telegram and faces possible indictment on Sunday 25th, August. The Telegram CEO is also being accused of complicity and negligence involving his Telegram service, where serious crimes, including drug trafficking, child sexual exploitation, and fraud frequently occur.

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39 year old Pavel Durov was listed on the Forbes Billionaires List in 2023, with a net worth of $11.5 billion. His fortune is largely driven by his ownership of Telegram. As of 25 August 2024, Durov was the 120th richest person in the world, with a net worth of $15.5 billion, according to Forbes. In 2022, he was recognized by Forbes as the richest expat in the United Arab Emirates. In February 2023, Arabian Business named him the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai.