The Populist. The Untold Story of Pavel Durov and Telegram

The book is the result of the author's 14-year investigation into Pavel Durov's strategy and mindset, and the epic of Telegram. It is based on multiple interviews with Durov and his rivals about clashes with Putin, the U.S., France; his ties with tech bros and manosphere; sperm epic, and more.

Much of Durov's real story — and the logic that drives him — remains obscured. A new biography aims to change that. One of the book's most striking sections tells for the first time of Telegram’s founder tense early meeting with President Vladimir Putin in 2014, held behind closed doors.
— The Guardian

Kononov stresses that decentralization at the surface does not mean decentralization at the core. This is Telegram’s central contradiction: libertarian rhetoric paired with extreme Durov control.
— Forbes

Note from the author:

I consider the information revealed in The Populist to be important, and I want it to be accessible to the broader public. Therefore, I am publishing it here on a pay-what-you-want model.