Pavel Durov: I Fund My Lifestyle With Bitcoin, Not Telegram

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov revealed he bought thousands of Bitcoin in 2013 for $700 each. The investment allowed him to fund his lifestyle independently from Telegram.

Early Bitcoin believer since 2013

Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has revealed that Bitcoin became the foundation of his personal wealth. Speaking on Lex Fridman’s podcast, he said he bought several thousand BTC in 2013 at around $700 per coin, investing a few million dollars.

When Bitcoin later dropped below $200 during the 2014 bear market, he refused to sell, saying he believed in the technology and in its role as future money. According to Durov, Bitcoin cannot be confiscated or censored for political reasons, which makes it unique compared to traditional assets.

Bitcoin kept Durov “afloat”

Durov stressed that his lifestyle is funded not by Telegram but by Bitcoin.

“Telegram is a money-losing project for me personally. Bitcoin is what has allowed me to stay afloat,” he explained.

He also predicted Bitcoin would eventually reach $1 million, citing governments’ endless money printing as a catalyst. Bitcoin, in contrast, has predictable inflation and a fixed supply.

TON and the blockchain ecosystem

Durov also discussed TON (The Open Network), originally developed by Telegram in 2018–2019. While U.S. regulators prevented Telegram from officially launching it, TON has since grown into one of the largest blockchains by daily NFT trading volumes.

Its native token, Toncoin, reached an all-time high of $8.25 in mid-2024 but has since fallen by more than 60%. Nevertheless, TON continues to expand within the Telegram ecosystem, with growing adoption in NFTs and digital asset services.