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Pavel Durov Says He May Have Been Poisoned in 2018 During Telegram Crackdowns

He disclosed the episode in a Lex Fridman interview, with no forensic confirmation or named suspects.

Overview

  • Durov said he fell violently ill about an hour after a “strange neighbor” left a package at the door of his rented townhouse.
  • He described sudden loss of vision and hearing, acute pain in his chest and stomach, difficulty breathing, and collapsing before waking on the floor the next day.
  • He added that blood vessels burst across his body and that he was unable to walk for two weeks.
  • He placed the episode in spring 2018 while he was raising funds for the TON blockchain as Russia and Iran were moving to block Telegram.
  • He said he kept the incident private at the time and offered no attribution or evidence, and current reporting notes no official investigation.