Pavel Durov turned 41 years old

Today is Pavel Durov's birthday. He is known not only for his work in the field of modern information technology, but also for his efforts towards freedom of speech and personal privacy.

In 2006 he founded the social network “VKontakte”, which quickly became one of the most popular platforms in Russia and the CIS.

In 2013, Pavel, together with his brother Nikolai Durov, created the Telegram messenger. This app garnered worldwide fame for its innovative approach to ensuring privacy and security. Today, Telegram has more than 1 billion active users.

According to Forbes, Pavel Durov's wealth amounts to 17.1 billion dollars — which makes him one of the wealthiest tech entrepreneurs in the world.

Despite government pressure, he refused to hand over users' personal data, and with his belief that "business should serve people, not the interests of control," he has earned the respect of millions of people.

International recognition:

• Recognized as the “most promising leader under 30”

• Participant of the Young Global Leaders program

• Included in Fortune's “40 Under 40” list

We congratulate Pavel Durov on his birthday!