Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive officer of the Telegram Messenger, says he has “over 100 biological children”.
In a post on his Telegram channel, the 39-year-old, who is yet to be married, disclosed that his journey into fatherhood began unexpectedly 15 years ago when a close friend facing fertility issues asked for his help.
He said his one-time act of kindness turned into a continuous sperm donation after a clinic convinced him of the critical shortage of high-quality donor material.
Durov added that, over the years, his sperm donations have helped more than a hundred couples from 12 countries build their families.
“I was just told that I have over 100 biological kids. How is this possible for a guy who has never been married and prefers to live alone?” he wrote.
“Fifteen years ago, a friend approached me with a weird request. He said that he and his wife couldn’t have kids due to a fertility issue and asked me to donate sperm at a clinic for them to have a baby. I laughed my ass off before realising he was dead serious.
“The boss of the clinic told me that ‘high-quality donor material’ was in short supply and that it was my civic duty to donate more sperm to anonymously help more couples.
“Fast forward to 2024, my past donating activity has helped over a hundred couples in 12 countries to have kids.”
Durov said he intends to open-source his DNA to enable his biological children to connect with each other regardless of their geographical locations.
He said despite the risks, he is proud to contribute to alleviating the global shortage of healthy sperm.
“There are risks, but I don’t regret having been a donor. The shortage of healthy sperm has become an increasingly serious issue worldwide, and I’m proud that I did my part to help alleviate it,” Durov added.
The Russian-born Emirati entrepreneur was recognized in 2022 as the richest expatriate in the United Arab Emirates by Forbes.
In February 2023, Arabian Business named Durov the most powerful entrepreneur in Dubai.
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