Pavel Durov, the founder and head of the online platform Telegram, was arrested on Saturday night at Le Bourget International Airport, near Paris. A search warrant had been issued against him by the French judiciary as part of an investigation into various violations related to the Telegram app, which allows for the exchange of encrypted messages.

According to TF1, Durov was served with an arrest warrant in connection with a preliminary police investigation.

Several Russian officials condemned the arrest, arguing that it demonstrates the West's double standards when it comes to freedom of speech and democracy.

The 39-year-old Durov, a Russian-born tech entrepreneur, is best known for founding the social networking site VK (VKontakte) and the messaging app Telegram.

Born on October 10, 1984, in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Durov is often referred to as the "Russian Mark Zuckerberg" due to the similarities between VK and Facebook.

In 2006, Durov, alongside his older brother Nikolai, launched VKontakte, which quickly became Russia's most popular social network.

During the anti-Putin protests in 2011-2012, Russian authorities demanded that Durov hand over the personal data of the protest organizers and shut down opposition groups on VK. Durov refused to comply, putting him in direct conflict with the Russian government.

In 2014, Durov faced renewed pressure from Russian authorities, this time for his refusal to block a VK group supporting the Ukrainian Euromaidan protests and for his refusal to hand over the data of Ukrainian users to the FSB (Federal Security Service).

Following these incidents, Durov faced new legal challenges, and his control over VK weakened. In April 2014, he was forced to resign and sold his remaining shares in the company. This resignation and sale were likely not voluntary but a result of immense pressure from Russian authorities and possibly from business interests aligned with the Kremlin.

After losing control of VK, Durov decided to leave Russia, stating that the country was "incompatible with internet business at the moment."

Since his departure from Russia in 2014, Durov has lived in self-imposed exile.

Since 2015, he has resided in Dubai, where Telegram is headquartered. Durov founded Telegram in 2013 with his brother Nikolai. Their goal was to create an alternative to the large American social media platforms, which are often criticized for commercially exploiting users' personal data.

Telegram has pledged never to reveal its users' data.

In 2018, Russia blocked Telegram after the app refused to comply with a court order to share its encryption keys. The ban was lifted in 2020.

Finally, Durov’s net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion, according to Forbes.