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Fortune

Prarthana Prakash

Billionaire Pavel Durov made his fortune building two influential social media giants with close links to Russia. Now, his tech legacy is under threat

Pavel Durov Telegram Russia Elon Musk Tucker Carlson WhatsApp Facebook VK

Pavel Durov speaking on stage (Credit: Chris Ratcliffe—Bloomberg/Getty Images)

Pavel Durov’s journey has all the trappings of the fabled underdog-turned-billionaire tale.

The 39-year-old entrepreneur established two tech platforms: One has become Russia’s answer to Facebook, while the other became a competitor to WhatsApp. No wonder he’s dubbed the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia.

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