Nikolai Durov Biography: Age, Net Worth, Brother, Telegram, VK, Mathematics, Company

Nikolai Valeryevich Durov, a Russian programmer and mathematician, is best known for co-founding the social networking platform VK and the messaging app Telegram alongside his younger brother, Pavel Durov.

He has made significant contributions to both technology and mathematics, notably developing the MTProto encryption protocol for Telegram and authoring the original Telegram Open Network (TON) whitepaper.

A prodigy with a low public profile, Durov’s work in algebraic geometry and his competitive programming accolades have earned him recognition as a brilliant mind in academic and tech circles.

Profile

• Full Name: Nikolai Valeryevich Durov
• Stage Name: Nikolai Durov
• Born: November 21, 1980
• Age: 44 years old
• Birthplace: Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
• Nationality: Russian, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Latvia
• Occupation: Programmer, Mathematician, Cryptologist
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Valery Durov, Albina Durova
• Siblings: Pavel Durov
• Spouse: None
• Children: None
• Relationship: Single
• Net Worth: $1.5 billion

Early Life and Education

Nikolai Valeryevich Durov was born on November 21, 1980, in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia). The son of Valery Durov, a Doctor of Philological Sciences and professor, and Albina Durova, he spent much of his childhood in Turin, Italy, where his father worked. His younger brother, Pavel Durov, is his only known sibling.

A prodigy, Nikolai reportedly read at an adult level by age three and solve cubic equations by eight. He attended an Italian high school and later studied at Saint Petersburg State University, earning a PhD in 2005 with a thesis on “New Approach to Arakelov Geometry.”

He pursued a second PhD at the University of Bonn under Gerd Faltings, completing it in 2007 on singular Arakelov geometry. His ethnicity is Russian, and his religion is not publicly known.

Career

Nikolai Durov began his career as a competitive programmer, winning gold medals at the International Mathematical Olympiad (1996–1998) and accruing three silver and one gold medal in the International Olympiad in Informatics (1995–1998). With friend Andrey Lopatin, he led Saint Petersburg State University’s ACM team to gold at the International Collegiate Programming Contest World Finals in 2000 and 2001. His early mathematical work focused on Galois theory and algebraic geometry, culminating in his first PhD in 2005.

Durov’s tech career took off when he joined his brother Pavel to develop VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest social network, launched in 2006. As lead developer until 2013, he built its technical infrastructure, recruiting top programmers from Saint Petersburg.

In 2013, he co-founded Telegram, designing the MTProto encryption protocol, which became central to the app’s privacy-focused appeal. His work on the Telegram Open Network (TON), including its whitepaper, introduced a fifth-generation blockchain with innovative DNS, proxy, and storage features, though regulatory challenges halted its initial launch.

Currently, Durov serves as a senior research fellow at the Steklov Mathematical Institute’s Laboratory of Algebra and Number Theory in Saint Petersburg. He continues to publish on topics like normed sets and absolute geometry while contributing to Telegram’s technical development.

Despite legal scrutiny, including a 2024 French arrest warrant related to Telegram’s content moderation, Durov remains a pivotal figure in secure communication technology and mathematical research, with his work shaping both fields profoundly.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @durov
• Facebook Handle: Nikolai Durov

Personal Life

Nikolai Durov, is currently single and has no known spouse or children. Nikolai maintains a low profile, rarely engaging with media or social platforms. Based in Dubai with his brother since 2017, he focuses on his mathematical research and Telegram’s technical backbone.

Net Worth

Nikolai Durov’s estimated net worth is $1.5 billion USD, primarily derived from his co-founding roles in VK and Telegram. His wealth stems from VK’s early success, Telegram’s growth to nearly 1 billion users, and his contributions to the Telegram Open Network (TON), which raised $1.7 billion from investors before regulatory setbacks.