Biography of Pavel Durov Highlights Contrasts Between His Libertarian Ideals and Authoritarian Management Style
Kononov's biography "The Populist" traces Pavel Durov from his early years as a science prodigy in St Petersburg to his role as the founder of Telegram. The book argues that Durov's core aim has been to bypass traditional institutions by speaking directly to millions of users. Telegram and VKontakte, platforms he built, are described as enabling him to push messages to all users, sometimes without opt-in. This approach promotes near-absolute freedom of expression, making the platforms attractive to a spectrum of users including dissidents, extremists, scammers, and war propagandists.
The biography portrays Durov's private management style as highly centralized. Key decisions regarding product development, marketing, and public relations are controlled almost solely by him, a "one-man show." Durov is characterized as an ultra-libertarian with anti-institutional right-wing leanings that include misogynistic and conspiratorial elements, with a worldview that has remained largely unchanged. He is compared to tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Jeff Bezos, sharing interests in longevity science and pronatalism. Notably, he reportedly abstains from drinking and drugs, shares austere health advice, and has fathered dozens of children through sperm donation.
The book recounts a 2013 meeting with Vladimir Putin which ended with a reprimand over illegal content on VKontakte. Putin reportedly urged Durov to leave Russia, after which Durov sold his VKontakte stake and moved to Dubai to establish Telegram. In August 2024, Durov was detained for three days in France amid a probe into crimes linked to Telegram, including circulation of child sexual abuse images, drug trafficking, and fraudulent transactions. This detention reportedly unsettled Durov and intensified his hostility toward the West.
Kononov emphasizes that there is no evidence of Durov collaborating with Russian security services or that Telegram operates as a backdoor for the FSB. Instead, a pattern emerges of Durov compromising with both Russian and Western authorities to keep Telegram functional. The biography also reveals a personal rift between Durov and the author, which arose after Durov ceased communication following inquiries about tensions between Telegram's centralized, almost authoritarian internal structure and his declared commitment to freedom of expression.
