Pavel Durov says he pays his bills with Bitcoin he purchased in 2013 rather than using Telegram’s funds. He spent about two million dollars that year to buy several thousand bitcoins at roughly seven hundred dollars each, and he adds that those coins let him leave Telegram’s treasury untouched. The arrangement matters to investors and product managers because it links his personal solvency to a volatile asset and interacts with Dubai’s zero personal tax rules for compliance and filings.
Reference points tying Durov’s finances to crypto and Telegram’s scale: the 2013 purchase of several thousand bitcoins at around seven hundred dollars each; Durov’s public comment that one bitcoin might reach one million dollars; Telegram’s 2024 revenue above one billion dollars; and one billion monthly users in 2025. Together, these details frame how his personal holdings sit alongside a platform with vast reach and growing revenue.
Pavel Durov revealed he bought thousands of Bitcoin in 2013 at $700
Net worth figures of thirteen point nine to seventeen point one billion dollars from Forbes and Bloomberg, noting Durov lives in Dubai and plans to split his estate among many children according to the reports she quotes. The Dubai residence is described as chosen for its zero personal tax rules, which shape how reporting, compliance, and tax planning are handled.
Paying living costs with bitcoin means his cash flow rises or falls with the coin’s price, and each sale can trigger a taxable event. This dynamic introduces sensitivity to market swings into personal budgeting and reporting.
Durov signals that Telegram runs on its own revenue, and outsiders should not expect him to bail out the company with private holdings. The message separates personal reserves from the platform’s treasury.
Heavy personal crypto exposure or residence in Dubai can invite extra Know-Your-Customer, Anti-Money-Laundering, and cross-border tax questions. That scrutiny can shape banking relationships and compliance workflows.
The plan to divide the fortune among numerous heirs raises practical issues around trusts, custody, and governance. Designing secure, auditable structures for digital assets becomes central to estate execution.
The narrative links one man’s bitcoin stash to a messenger app’s billion-user growth, with watch points including the bitcoin price relative to Durov’s million-dollar forecast and any new details on his estate and tax plans. Practically, observers will track how market moves and regulatory choices in Dubai intersect with his ability to keep Telegram’s funds untouched.
