Pavel Durov’s announcement has sent shockwaves through both the tech and reproductive health sectors. He claims his journey began in 2010 when he agreed to help a friend who was struggling to conceive. Following that success, fertility specialists reportedly encouraged him to continue donating, citing his "high-quality donor material" as a rare and necessary resource.
Over the past 15 years, Durov’s contributions have allegedly helped hundreds of couples globally. He frames this not as an ego-driven project, but as a "civic duty" to help solve the growing problem of declining male fertility, which he attributes to environmental factors like plastic pollution and lifestyle changes.
The "Free IVF" Offer and the $17 Billion Legacy
To further his mission, Durov has partnered with a specialized clinic in Moscow to offer free In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) protocols to eligible women. The offer comes with specific criteria: applicants must be unmarried, under the age of 37, and pass a rigorous health screening. For those who meet these requirements, Durov personally covers the high costs of the IVF procedure.
Perhaps the most startling aspect of this initiative is the financial promise attached to it. Durov, whose net worth is estimated at $17 billion, has publicly pledged that he makes "no distinction" between the children he has conceived through personal relationships and those born via his sperm donations. In his formal will, he has reportedly specified that all his biological offspring—who can prove their genetic link through DNA testing—will be eligible to receive an equal share of his massive estate.
Ethical Debates and "Open-Sourcing" DNA
However, there is a catch: the inheritance is reportedly set for 2055. Durov insists that his children should grow up as "normal people," learning self-reliance and creativity rather than becoming dependent on a bank account.
Critics and bioethicists have raised concerns regarding "super-donors" and the psychological impact on donor-conceived children who may discover hundreds of half-siblings worldwide. To address this, Durov has promised to "open-source" his DNA, providing a roadmap for his biological children to find and connect with one another in the future. As the world watches this unprecedented social and biological experiment, Durov remains defiant, viewing his prolific procreation as a necessary response to a looming demographic winter.
