Telegram CEO shocks with '100 biological kids' revelation; Elon Musk reacts with a hilarious comment

Pavel Durov, Founder and CEO of Telegram, recently disclosed that he has over 100 biological children. About 15 years ago, a friend facing fertility issues approached Durov for a sperm donation. This led to a discussion with the fertility clinic director, who highlighted the lack of high-quality donor material and suggested that Durov had a "civic duty" to contribute.

“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 before realising he was dead serious,” Durov recounted.

Pavel Durov on becoming a sperm donor

Intrigued by the clinic head's remarks, Durov began donating sperm. Over the years, his donations have resulted in the birth of over 100 children across 12 countries. Some clinics still have his frozen sperm available for anonymous use.

“Many years after I stopped being a donor, at least one IVF clinic still has my frozen sperm available for anonymous use by families who want to have kids,” Durov shared.

Durov's plans for the future

Durov now plans to make his DNA publicly available, enabling his biological children to connect with each other. He emphasised the significance of healthy sperm and expressed pride in his contributions.

“I am proud that I did my duty. 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. I also want to help destigmatize the whole notion of sperm donation and incentivize more healthy men to do it, so that families struggling to have kids can enjoy more options. Defy convention - redefine the norm,” Durov added.

Elon Musk and public reaction

Since the announcement, Durov's revelation has gone viral. Shared on X (formerly Twitter), it has elicited various reactions. A notable tweet from Autism Capital read, “Today we learned that the Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov, has over 100 biological children.”

The reactions varied widely. One user commented, “Tech CEOs’ new hubristic hobby seems to be competing on the number of offsprings they can claim - without ever loving them or being in their lives,” while another said, “By many definitions, he’s perhaps the most successful man alive.”

Elon Musk also commented on the post, humorously stating, “Rookie numbers – Genghis Khan.”

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