The founder of Telegram, Pavel Durov, has disclosed surviving a poisoning attack in 2018, detailing the incident in an interview with podcaster Lex Fridman. Durov described how he discovered a “strange package” left at his doorstep during the spring of that year, leading to severe physical distress.
In the interview, Durov recounted experiencing intense pain across his body after returning to his rented townhouse. He recalled collapsing on the floor, unable to stand, with symptoms including burst blood vessels and temporary inability to walk. “That was the only instant in my life when I think I was dying,” he said.
Durov revealed he awoke the next day on the floor, incapacitated for two weeks. He described losing his eyesight and hearing in quick succession, along with acute breathing difficulties. “I thought, well, I had a good life, I managed to accomplish a few things. Then I collapsed on the floor,” he said.
The incident occurred amid Telegram’s efforts to secure funding for its TON blockchain project, a period when multiple governments, including Russia’s, sought to ban the messaging app. Durov emphasized he kept the event private at the time to avoid public alarm.
