Dubai-based Telegram founder says he has ‘100 biological kids’ through IVF

Telegram’s founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, has openly discussed his past sperm donations, aiming to destigmatise conversations around In vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

Durov, who now resides in Dubai after leaving Russia in 2014, revealed that he could have biologically fathered up to 100 children.

Durov, who owns a five-bedroom villa in the Jumeirah Islands, shared this personal detail with his 5.7 million Telegram subscribers. The platform is nearing one billion users.

“I was just told that I have over 100 biological kids. How is this possible for a guy who has never been married and prefers to live alone?” Durov said in his post.

He explained that nearly 15 years ago, a friend approached him with an unusual request. “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 serious,” Durov recounted.

The clinic’s head informed Durov that there was a shortage of “high-quality donor material” and suggested it was his “civic duty to donate more sperm to anonymously help more couples.” This convinced Durov to sign up for sperm donation.

“Fast forward to 2024, my past donations have helped over a hundred couples in 12 countries to have kids,” he said, adding that some clinics still have his frozen sperm available for anonymous use.

Durov, 39, plans to open-source his DNA to help his biological children find each other. “I’m proud that I did my duty. The shortage of healthy sperm is a serious issue worldwide, and I’m proud to have helped alleviate it,” he said. His post has garnered over 1.8 million views.

IVF legislation in the UAE

For those considering IVF in the UAE, significant legislative changes have been introduced. As of 2023, unmarried, non-Muslim couples can undergo IVF treatment, provided the relevant eggs and sperm are from the couple.

Article 8 of the new ruling in the Official Gazette states that unmarried non-Muslim couples, as well as married Muslim and non-Muslim couples, can seek permission from health authorities for IVF. Unmarried couples must register the child under both their names.

However, it remains illegal to use sperm donors other than the husband or egg donors other than the wife.

Recent amendments to fertility legislation also legalised the freezing of embryos, previously prohibited. These updates pave the way for surrogacy options and regulate the use of embryos and eggs in assisted reproduction in the country.

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