In 2014, Pavel Durov, the billionaire Russian-born founder of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, faced growing conflict with the Russian Federal Security Service. Tensions had begun with his refusal to turn over personal data from Ukrainian protesters, who were using his Russian social-network platform, VKontakte. This was, to put it mildly, a bold move.
Consequently, he was swiftly removed as C.E.O. of the company by its board. Shortly after that, to nobody’s astonishment, major control of VKontakte shifted to pro-Kremlin, oligarch-linked entities. The whole thing didn’t sit too well with Durov, who promptly planned his departure from Russia. In a subsequent interview, he stated, “I consider myself a legal citizen of the world,” then embarked on acquiring the passport stack to prove it. He now has four—from France, Saint Kitts and Nevis, the U.A.E., and Russia—and refuses to own any property or material assets that might tie him to any one place, despite being worth north of $17 billion. These seemingly excessive precautions may come in handy: last month, on July 29, Russia’s F.S.B. formally charged Durov with “aiding terrorism” and placed him on an international wanted list.
