New Delhi: Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old founder and CEO of Telegram, leads his $30 billion company with an incredibly lean operation — just 30 employees and no human resources (HR) department. This fact may sound surprising, but Durov has confirmed that he manages the operations on his own, acting as the company’s “only product manager.” He even takes on HR duties himself, recruiting top engineers through contests.
Prominent Indian businessman Harsh Goenka, known for his active social media presence, recently shared this impressive detail in a post on X (formerly Twitter). In his post, Goenka highlighted Telegram's lean structure: “Telegram, led by recently arrested founder Pavel Durov, has ~1B users, market cap $30bn, no ads, only 30 employees, and no HR (Durov runs the show solo, recruiting top talent through contests). Talk about lean!”
Telegram, led by recently arrested founder Pavel Durov, has ~1B users, market cap $30bn, no ads, only 30 employees, and no HR (Durov runs the show solo, recruiting top talent through contests). Talk about lean! pic.twitter.com/sI6bF85r5Q
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) August 27, 2024
Despite Telegram’s massive user base of over 900 million and its high valuation, the company operates with minimal staff. Founded in 2013 by Durov and his brother Nikolai, Telegram has become popular for its emphasis on user privacy, its ability to support large groups, and features like syncing across multiple devices.
Who is Pavel Durov?
Pavel Durov, originally from the former Soviet Union, studied at St. Petersburg University in Russia. Before launching Telegram, he co-founded VKontakte, a social media platform widely used in Russia. However, Durov left Russia after facing pressure from authorities to hand over user data. Reflecting on that experience in a 2024 interview, Durov said, “It was a bit painful because my first company was my baby. But, at the same time, I understood that I would rather be free; I wouldn’t want to take orders from anyone.”
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Now a billionaire, Durov holds citizenship in France, the UAE, and Russia. Telegram’s focus on user privacy has helped it stand out from competitors like WhatsApp, making the app a global success.
Recently, clips of Durov’s interview with Trucker Coulson gained attention following his arrest in France in August. Durov was charged with allegedly allowing criminal activity to take place on Telegram.
When And Why Telegram CEO Was Arrested?
He was arrested on August 24 at Le Bourget airport near Paris by French authorities. His arrest is linked to an ongoing police investigation into claims that Telegram did not do enough to prevent criminal activities on the platform. The concerns focus on the app’s lack of moderation and its limited cooperation with law enforcement, according to a source cited by Reuters.
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