Lex Fridman Podcast
Lex Fridman Podcast

#482 – Pavel Durov: Telegram, Freedom, Censorship, Money, Power & Human Nature

October 1, 2025 · 4 h 43 min

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Show notes

Pavel Durov is the founder and CEO of Telegram.

Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep482-sc

See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc.

Transcript:

https://lexfridman.com/pavel-durov-transcript

CONTACT LEX:

Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey

AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama

Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring

Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact

EPISODE LINKS:

Pavel’s Telegram: https://t.me/durov

Pavel’s X: https://x.com/durov

Telegram: https://telegram.org/

Telegram Contests: https://contest.com/

SPONSORS:

To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts:

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Go to https://miro.com/

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LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.

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OUTLINE:

() – Introduction

() – Sponsors, Comments, and Reflections

() – Philosophy of freedom

() – No alcohol

() – No phone

() – Discipline

() – Telegram: Lean philosophy, privacy, and geopolitics

() – Arrest in France

() – Romanian elections

() – Power and corruption

() – Intense education

() – Nikolai Durov

() – Programming and video games

() – VK origins & engineering

() – Hiring a great team

() – Telegram engineering & design

() – Encryption

() – Open source

() – Edward Snowden

() – Intelligence agencies

() – Iran and Russia government pressure

() – Apple

() – Poisoning

() – Money

() – TON

() – Bitcoin

() – Two chairs dilemma

() – Children

() – Father

() – Quantum immortality

() – Kafka

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