December 12, 2017, 10:08 / Business / News

Pavel Durov decided to settle in Dubai

The creator of the social network “VKontakte” and the Telegram messenger Pavel Durov decided to settle in Dubai, he spoke about this in an interview with Bloomberg.

“I like it,” Durov assessed the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. “It’s growing at the speed of a startup.” According to Durov, he chose Dubai because the city has a free economic zone.

“This is a matter of principle. Many in the West do not understand how much taxes limit their options. You can pay almost half of your income in taxes, which means you work for the government 180 days a year. I think I can find better ways to use the money I earn to benefit society,” he said.

The agency reports that Durov's new office is located on the 23rd floor of the Dubai Media City skyscraper.

In 2013, Durov received citizenship of the state on the Caribbean islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. He had never been to this country and received citizenship without leaving Europe, with the aim of visa-free travel to the European Union and the UK, Durov explained.

Durov left Russia in April 2014, resigning from the post of CEO of VKontakte and selling his 12% stake in the social network after a shareholder conflict with the UCP fund. The then main shareholder accused the founder of VKontakte that he was developing his own Telegram project while remaining the head of the social network.