Is Telegram Russian Owned?

Telegram is owned by the same two people who founded the company in Russia back in 2013, Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. Pavel is also the company's CEO. Pavel Durov has been dubbed Russia's Mark Zuckerberg, as he had originally founded that country's biggest social networking site, known as VK.

Who is Telegram owned by?

Pavel Durov, the enigmatic Russian-born tech billionaire who has built his reputation on creating an unhackable messaging app, finds his own number on the list. Durov, 36, is the founder of Telegram, which claims to have more than half a billion users.

Why is Telegram banned in Russia?

Telegram was banned by the Russian authorities in 2018 for two years, after which the ban was lifted in 2020. The Russian authorities wanted access to the encrypted messages of Telegram, failing which the app would face a ban in the country. However, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov did not comply with the authorities.