Founder of Telegram Messenger: Holding "hundreds of millions" of fiat currencies and bitcoin

Pavel Durov, founder of encrypted instant messaging app Telegram Messenger, predicts that increased government surveillance will force the creation of secure communication devices inspired by cryptocurrency hardware wallets. However, Durov believes that increased regulation will force hardware devices dedicated to secure communication to innovate "just as we use hardware wallets to store cryptocurrencies".
When it comes to company ownership, Durov said he avoids venture capital (VC) investments to prevent outside influence on how Telegram operates. He revealed that he holds "hundreds of millions of dollars" in fiat currency and bitcoin, which allows him to direct his projects and companies with 100% ownership. However, he did raise funds for several projects in the past, one of which was a cryptocurrency project.