Maillochon, a year-old crime reporter for the French broadcaster TF1, was used to contacts in law enforcement pinging him on the weekend. They liked Telegram , which they felt was more secure than other messaging apps. Maillochon tried to enjoy the birthday party while nervously eyeing his Telegram messages. If he was on the plane, they would arrest him. His next company, Telegram, made him a global tech mogul.
Durov presented himself as a libertarian crusader for privacy and freedom of speech on the internet. Now Telegram was nearing a billion users and, Durov claimed, planning to go public by Maillochon began to grasp the size of what he was reeling in. From there it spread to news outlets around the world.
They said Durov was petulant and haughty in his initial interviews with police. He flaunted his connections, claiming that he had come to Paris to meet with Emmanuel Macron.
Durov also reportedly asked that French telecom billionaire Xavier Niel, until recently a majority shareholder in Le Monde newspaper, be notified of his arrest. In the immediate aftermath of the arrest, no one from Telegram commented publicly. Nobody was prepared for this situation.
It is up to the judges to rule on the matter. Durov also said he had been in touch with French intelligence services about terrorism cases. On August 28, nearly four days after his arrest, Durov was formally indicted on six charges. He was also ordered to report to a police station twice a week. The case against Durov, the CEO of a huge mainstream platform, was unprecedented.
