Telegram CEO Pavel Durov Caught in Honey Trap? Girlfriend Missing Amid Legal Troubles in Paris

The arrest of Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, remains a mystery even three days later. According to media reports, his 24-year-old girlfriend, Yulia Vavilova, has been missing since his arrest.

Girlfriend’s Role in the Arrest?

Many reports suggest that Durov’s arrest was due to Yulia. She traveled with her boyfriend, Durov, on a private jet from Azerbaijan to Paris. Surprisingly, Durov had 12 cases registered against him in France, yet he still traveled there.

Social Media Claims Yulia’s Role in the Arrest

Social media is abuzz with claims that Yulia’s actions led to Durov’s arrest. When the two arrived in Paris, Yulia posted several Instagram stories from Durov’s private jet, which allegedly tipped off the police, leading to his arrest.

Yulia Went Missing After Four Months of Contact

Like Durov, Yulia is also of Russian origin and has lived in Dubai for two years, claiming to be a crypto trainer. She is said to speak multiple languages, including Russian, English, Arabic, and Spanish.

Yulia came into contact with Durov four months ago. The two were seen together in several places, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Azerbaijan, with some of their photos appearing on social media. Since Durov’s arrest, Yulia has gone missing.

Claims of a Honey Trap?

Due to these events, some on social media claim that Durov fell victim to a honey trap, with Yulia getting close to him only to take him to Paris for his arrest.

Durov Faces 20 Years in Prison if Found Guilty

On Saturday (August 24), Durov was arrested on charges related to child sexual exploitation material, drug trafficking, promoting organized crime, and using Telegram to withhold information.

The Russian Zuckerberg

Pavel Durov, often referred to as the Russian Zuckerberg, founded Telegram with his brother in 2013. The Russian government had demanded data related to Russian citizens from him, which led him to leave the country in 2014 and obtain citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

In the initial years, Durov traveled to many countries before establishing his headquarters in Dubai in 2017. He acquired French citizenship in 2021, but his residence was still in the UAE until his arrest. It is unclear whether he has renounced his Russian citizenship.

Father of Five, Allegedly the Biological Father of Over 100 Children

According to Forbes, Durov’s net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion (₹1.3 lakh crore), placing him at the 120th spot on the billionaires’ list. Reports suggest that although Durov is unmarried, he has five children, though the identity of their mother remains unclear.

Russian media claims that Darya Bondarenko was his first wife, with whom he has two children, but they have since divorced.

Woman Claims to Be the Mother of Durov’s Children

In July this year, a Russian woman, Irina Bolgere, claimed to be the mother of three of Durov’s children, stating that she and her children live in Switzerland. Durov has not commented on this.

On July 29, Durov shocked everyone by claiming that he is the biological father of more than 100 children, stating that he has been a sperm donor for the past 15 years.

Telegram’s Security Concerns

Telegram does not have end-to-end encryption set by default; users must enable this feature. Telegram chats can be accessed (read by others), unlike WhatsApp, where this feature is set by default.

Telegram, with a global user base of one billion, is operated by just 30 employees. The company’s market cap is around ₹2.5 lakh crore. Pavel Durov runs Telegram almost single-handedly.

India’s IT and Home Ministry Start Investigations into Telegram

The IT and Home Ministries in India have started investigating Telegram for legal violations. The IT Ministry has written to the Home Ministry to investigate previous complaints against Telegram. If found guilty, Telegram could be banned by the IT Ministry.

Musk Reacts to Telegram CEO’s Arrest: Calls for Zuckerberg’s Arrest Over Instagram’s Child Exploitation

Tesla Chief Elon Musk has accused Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg of promoting child exploitation on Instagram and has called for his arrest. On Sunday, Musk said on social media that if the government considers the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov justified, then how can Zuckerberg be free?