Telegram founder Pavel Durov opens up about 2018 assassination attempt

Moscow-born entrepreneur and Telegram founder Pavel Durov has revealed that he survived a poisoning attempt in the spring of 2018, an incident he kept secret for nearly a decade to focus on business priorities. Speaking on a podcast with Lex Fridman, Durov said, “That was the only instant in my life that I thought I was dying.” Durov, who suspected the poisoning was carried out by a “weird neighbor,” said the attack left him unable to walk for weeks. “I woke up the next day on the floor, unable to stand, with burst blood vessels and unable to walk for two weeks afterward. This is something I never talked about publicly because I didn’t want people to freak out,” he added. The 40-year-old Russian-born billionaire said he endured intense pain, progressive loss of vision and hearing, extreme difficulty breathing, and overwhelming weakness during the incident. At that time, Telegram was actively seeking funding for its TON blockchain project, while several countries, including Russia, were attempting to ban the messaging platform. Durov explained that he chose not to disclose the poisoning earlier because he was in the midst of developing a blockchain compatible with Telegram. He feared that any news of his health issues could jeopardise the project. In addition to his Russian citizenship, Durov also holds citizenship in France and the United Arab Emirates. Last year, he was briefly arrested in Paris over allegations of failing to curb illegal content on Telegram but was later released on bail with restrictions preventing him from leaving France.