Telegram founder’s claim of having over 100 children surprises many, bringing his personal life into the spotlight.
In 12 countries, Pavel Durov has acknowledged that he actively donated his sperm to assist couples in conceiving.
Sperm donations by Pavel Durov, the creator of Telegram messaging app, have resulted in him fathering more than 100 children across a dozen nations.
Fifteen years ago, the IT entrepreneur of Russian descent began donating sperm after initially finding it an unusual request when a friend asked him.
In a Telegram post, Durov recounted how the man revealed that he and his wife had a fertility problem preventing them from having children. The man then asked him to donate sperm at a clinic so they could start a family. Initially amused, it dawned on Durov that the request was genuine.
According to him, doctors stated that there was a scarcity of superior donor material and believed it was his obligation as a citizen to contribute sperm in secrecy with the intention of aiding additional couples. This notion seemed so peculiar; nonetheless, he decided to register for sperm donation.
Durov plans to share his DNA code in order to facilitate the reunion of his biological children. He mentioned that he has aided more than a hundred couples from 12 different countries in conceiving through donations made by him previously. Despite not being actively involved anymore, Durov’s frozen sperm is still accessible for anonymous use at an IVF clinic with families looking forward to having kids availing its services.
Despite acknowledging the potential risks, Durov has no regrets about his decision to be a donor despite being unmarried.
Durov expressed his lament over the growing concern of a scarcity of healthy sperm worldwide and shared that he takes pride in having contributed to its alleviation.
In response to Durov’s disclosure, Elon Musk – an American billionaire entrepreneur – humorously referred to having 100 biological children as “rookie numbers” on X (previously known as Twitter). He then playfully credited the quote to Genghis Khan. According to historians, it is believed that the Mongol ruler from the 11th century had between several hundred and over a thousand offspring.
In July, Musk denied the allegations made by the New York Times that he had offered his sperm to assist with creating a community on Mars in upcoming times.
Earlier this year, Shivon Zilis who is a Neuralink executive welcomed a new baby with Elon Musk. In total, Musk has had 12 children with three different women.
