Telegram Creator on Elon Musk, Resisting FBI Attacks, and Getting Mugged in California

In this podcast, Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, shares his remarkable journey from being a child prodigy in the Soviet Union to creating VK, often referred to as Russia's Facebook. He discusses his decision to leave Russia due to government censorship, which led him to establish Telegram—a messaging app dedicated to user privacy and free speech, now based in Dubai to avoid governmental control. Despite facing pressure from various governments and tech giants like Apple and Google, Durov remains steadfast in his commitment to keeping Telegram neutral and focused on organic growth, refusing to compromise on user privacy or freedom of expression. He highlights the significance of independent platforms and contrasts Telegram's philosophy with that of other major social media networks.