According to the clinic, many of the female patients seeking services looked wonderful and were highly educated. A former doctor of the institution noted that the women were looking for a partner who matched their ideas of a "suitable" father.
Regarding his biological lineage, Durov, who is now 41 years old and lives in Dubai, mentioned that he already has over 100 children in 12 countries, not counting six children from three different mothers. In July 2024, he revealed that he began donating sperm around 2010, initially for his girlfriend, and then anonymously to address the shortage of quality donor material.
Although Durov stopped donating sperm a few years ago, his frozen samples are still available at the AltraVita clinic. In an interview with a French magazine, he stated that his biological children would receive an equal share of his inheritance.
Durov's net worth is estimated by Forbes at $17 billion, primarily due to his stake in Telegram, which he plans to transfer to a non-profit organization. He also owns an unknown amount of bitcoins acquired in 2013, which has attracted the attention of people claiming to be his descendants.
"If they can establish the presence of a common DNA gene, perhaps in 30 years they will be able to claim a share of my inheritance," Durov shared in Lex Fridman's podcast, adding that he intends to make his DNA available for the search for his biological children.
Durov is becoming part of a small number of wealthy and influential individuals who are exploring the boundaries of reproductive ethics. Some of them use genetic testing and gene technologies to create children with desired characteristics. Others, like Elon Musk, discuss having children as a way to address the population decline and colonize future worlds.
Durov views his donation as a way to help address the shortage of healthy sperm and inspire other men to participate in this activity. He also emphasizes a broader issue, pointing to the decline of part of Western civilization and the threats to freedom posed by technological regulation in various countries.
"In October, while we sleep, a grim dystopian world is growing," he said, condemning measures such as digital IDs and online age verification. "We are leading ourselves to self-destruction — moral, intellectual, economic, and ultimately biological."
Durov's statement about his 100 children elicited a joking response from Musk, who himself is a father of at least 14 children. "Newbies, lol — Genghis Khan," Musk wrote on X, hinting that about 16 million people could be descendants of the historical conqueror.
"I'll be back soon, increasing the unit limit," Durov replied to Musk's post, accompanying it with a meme from the game "StarCraft" with the phrase: "CREATE MORE OVERLORDS."
Durov's sperm marketing is conducted through the AltraVita clinic, which serves wealthy clients. It offers "selective" embryos screened for genetic diseases.
The clinic participated in a project that announced the cloning of a cow with outstanding milk productivity in October. Durov previously stated that he was skeptical about sperm donation, but after speaking with AltraVita founder Yakovenko, he realized that it was his civic duty, considering the quality genes and the decline in sperm count.
This initiative has received support in Russia, which is facing a demographic crisis exacerbated by emigration and war. "The shortage of healthy sperm is becoming an increasingly serious problem, and I am proud to help address it," Durov noted.
In an interview, he also mentioned the "rapid decline in sperm concentration among men" around the world, linking it to plastic pollution and calling for action. A former doctor of the clinic added that Durov did not participate in choosing the mothers for his children. "It was a unique opportunity: everything was paid for, and the donor is a successful and attractive person," he noted.
Billionaire
Durov, who usually prefers a black style in clothing, except when posing without a shirt, holds libertarian views and opposes government intervention. He sees Telegram as a means of combating authoritarianism both in Russia and in the West. In his personal life, he leads a healthy lifestyle, avoiding alcohol and caffeine.
Durov's first two children were born in 2009 and 2010 when he was still managing VK. Around that time, he began donating sperm at AltraVita. Later, he had three children with lawyer Irina Bolgar, who now lives in Switzerland and with whom Durov had disagreements. Bolgar claims that he stopped financial support after she refused to move with the children to Dubai. In 2017, she filed a criminal complaint against him in Switzerland, claiming that he hit the youngest child.
Durov's spokesperson stated that Bolgar and Durov were never in a relationship and that he continues to support all his children, including a $7 million advance in alimony in 2019.
In December 2024, he had another child with Hungarian model Diana Bako, who reported that she receives help from her parents. His current girlfriend, Yulia Vavilova, is also an internet influencer. After Durov's arrest in 2024, she reported her miscarriage in France. At a charity ball in early 2025, coinciding with the Cannes Film Festival, he paid 400,000 euros for a cameo role for Vavilova in a Spike Lee film.
In the podcast, Durov noted that he is in no hurry to share his money with his children, believing that living in poverty helped him become goal-oriented. He expressed hope that his example would inspire other healthy men to become sperm donors, adding, "I do not regret being a donor," he wrote on Telegram in 2024.
