Pavel Durov, the mysterious and controversial Telegram founder, recently made headlines after he was arrested in France and charged with several counts of failing to curb extremist and illegal content on the popular messaging app. Amid these legal issues, old photos of Durov have emerged online, showing a dramatic transformation in his appearance. The photos have fueled speculation that he may have undergone hair transplant and plastic surgery. It all started after a recent post on X shared a before-and-after picture of the Telegram CEO, highlighting a noticeable transformation in his appearance over time. While recent images show him with a full head of hair and a toned physique, older photos show him with a receding hairline.
''Pavel Durov (Telegram CEO) before his hair transplant and plastic surgery,'' the picture was captioned.
See the post here:
The pictures have ignited a flurry of speculative comments on social media websites. While some Reddit users speculated about possible cosmetic procedures, including hair systems or wigs, others argued that the changes can be attributed to factors like improved lighting and angles.
One user commented, "The facial changes might be due to better lighting and angles in the second photo, rather than surgery."
Another user joked, ''Proof you're not ugly you're just broke!'' A third commented, ''If I had his billions I would do the same things to improve my appearance.''
A fifth added, ''I always had a feeling that there was something distinctive about his facial features.''
The Russian-born 39-year-old was arrested at the French capital's Le Bourget airport on suspicion of failing to act against illicit content on the 900-million-user social network Telegram, allegations the company itself has denied. Now, out on bail, he has been banned from leaving the country as he faces a possible trial.
An enigmatic figure who rarely speaks in public, Durov is a citizen of Russia, France and the United Arab Emirates, where Telegram is based. Forbes magazine estimates his current fortune at $15.5 billion, though he proudly promotes the virtues of an ascetic life that includes ice baths and not drinking alcohol or coffee.
