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New Delhi: Pavel Durov, the CEO of Telegram, offered free IVF treatment to women willing to use his sperm. Durov said the women aged 37 or below who want to use his donated sperm will get In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment for free, in an effort to help women and couple facing fertility issue, according to The Wall Street Journal report.
Durov said that besides offering sperm, he would also pay for the IVF procedure for all of the participants. The Telegram CEO has six children from three partners and is the biological father of more than 100 other children in 12 countries through sperm donation.
Father to 100+ children
Speaking to French news outlet Le Point in June this year, Durov said all his 100-plus children will eventually get a share of his wealth. "I make no difference between my children," he said.
Altravita, a clinic where Durov's donated sperm is available, said on its website, "In our clinic you can undergo IVF for free, using Pavel Durov’s sperm-one of the most famous and successful entrepreneurs of our time. This opportunity is one of a kind and the number of slots is limited." It also said Durov is willing to finance all the IVF protocols that use his sperm, describing it as a "generous contribution to society from someone who wants to help those dreaming of becoming parents".
The Russian business tycoon, who founded the messaging platform Telegram in 2013, is worth nearly USD 14 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Telegram CEO's sperm donation journey
Durov first donated his sperm 15 years ago when one of his friends who wanted to become a parent, approached him. The CEO, in a post on Telegram last year, said, “He said that he and his wife couldn't have kids due to a fertility issue and asked me to donate sperm at a clinic for them to have a baby." Durov said that though he initially laughed it off, he realised later that his friend was serious. Eventually, he agreed, setting in motion a series of donations that would go on to impact many families.
He revealed he fathered “over 100 biological kids” over 15 years. “I was just told that I have over 100 biological kids. How is this possible for a guy who has never been married and prefers to live alone?” he wrote.
The CEO also noted that the shortage of healthy sperm has become an increasingly serious issue worldwide, and that he was proud to did his part to help alleviate it". "I also want to help destigmatise the whole notion of sperm donation and incentivise more healthy men to do it, so that families struggling to have kids can enjoy more options," he added.
