"Tech visionary, Kremlin dissident, FSB agent, free speech absolutist, health guru. These are just some of the labels admirers and critics have attached to Pavel Durov over the past decade. The Russian-born tech entrepreneur founded Russia's version of Facebook before going on to create the messaging app Telegram, launch a cryptocurrency ecosystem and amass a multibillion-dollar fortune, all while clashing repeatedly with authorities in Russia and beyond."
"Durov is one of the first digital populists, Kononov said in an interview, explaining that from the very beginning, as soon as he started making his digital products, he programmed into them the ability to write and communicate his ideas directly to his audience.. Both VKontakte, Durov's first venture, and Telegram have at times pushed messages from Durov directly to all users, including users who had not opted in, outlining his libertarian worldview."
Pavel Durov rose from a St Petersburg schoolboy science protégé to found VKontakte and later Telegram, which serves more than a billion users. He launched a cryptocurrency ecosystem and accumulated a multibillion-dollar fortune while repeatedly clashing with Russian and other authorities. Durov programs his products to allow direct communication to users, bypassing institutions, the press and representative systems. Both VKontakte and Telegram have pushed messages from Durov to all users, including those who did not opt in, reflecting a libertarian worldview. He positions near-absolute freedom of expression as a central promise even as Telegram hosts dissidents, extremists, scammers and war propaganda.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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