The Creator of “Vkontakte” Pavel Durov Telegram in the United States began a big problem. Court for the southern district of new York recognized the cryptocurrency Durov Gram securities. This means that the company “Russian Elon musk” will have to part with us $ 1.3 billion.
That amount, he promised to return to investors in case of project failure. 77% of all raised funds which has already been spent on its development. Give them to Durova will probably have out of pocket.
However, the decision of the American court is unlikely to Durova will not ruin. According to Forbes, as Durova is 2.7 billion dollars. According to rumors, Google offered to buy him a Telegram for $1 billion, the film was estimated at $3-4 billion, while experts believe that it is really worth more.
The same Telegram will bring him a lot of money. And not only he, the messenger is a critical component blockchain project TON (Telegram Open Network), the development of which, together with the project Gram in 2018 was raised about 1.7 billion the price has not been released yet cryptocurrencies for the year increased. If in 2019, experts estimated the cost of one Gram token $2.1-8, it is projected that by 2028 it can reach $15-30 per coin.
But a brilliant mind “of the Russian Elon musk” miscalculated… In October 2019 SEC decided that Gram fits the definition of securities as the company culture is in advance promised investors the opportunity to capitalize on the resale of tokens. And the placement of the securities, by law, have to register.
No matter whether Durov have not thought about it or counted on Russian perhaps, what a ride and so. The law is the law. Including much-loved Russian dissidents States. There in many respects, even more so than anywhere else.
The us regulator has filed a severe complaint to Telegram, and the us Supreme court found them to be reasonable.
Worst of all, the failure of the project could hit the reputation of Durov’s Telegram and personally by creating it difficulty in attracting Finance for new projects. This is a serious blow to the career of the “Russian Elon musk”. It is also a blow to everyone who continues to think that if you are considered a “Martyr” in the fight against “the bloody Russian regime”, in the US you can do anything.
Durov, remember, and really acquired this status, when he lived in Russia. But his career began right as the epitome of the “American dream” in Russia. Initially work as a freelance programmer, he was involved in the creation of websites, support forum home University and the electronic library that led him to the creation of the social network.
The rise has been meteoric, just a couple of years of “Vkontakte” became the most popular social network in the country, literally Zolochiv its Creator. However Durov, apparently, was not enough, and he is actively not the case to spend money, the company has attracted the attention of the shareholders in 2014 initiated the scan. Durova also put forward claims that he had forced some specialists to work on his new project – Telegram.
In the same 2014 he started to have problems with the law because of the refusal to give data of organizers of groups relevant to illegal acts, unrest, etc. Soon he had to sell his stake in the company and hurried to leave the country.
“In this country it is impossible now to Internet business“, – he said in one of his first interviews from there.
However, Durov has always been a controversial reputation. Before exile, he became famous for throwing money from the Windows of his office, and wrote blasphemous tweets about the Great Patriotic war. In General, his departure from Russia few people upset.
Soon Durov have invested $ 250 thousand to the economy of the island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis in exchange for citizenship and the opportunity without a visa to visit 124 countries. In this country, the film has never been and has no plans even to visit. According to some, has UK citizenship and also a luxury apartment in Berlin. Where he lives now, unknown, he regularly POPs up in Dubai, then new York, then in Paris.
In short, a citizen of the world. The companies involved in the operation and development of the Telegram are in the USA. And here Durov begins a new story of struggle – now with American authorities.
I wonder how soon Durov said that in USA is impossible to do business?
What actually happened? What has happened is that the actor violated U.S. laws. And, apparently, not out of ignorance, but deliberately, believing that he, as a “veteran” of the struggle with the Russian authorities, it will get away with it. They’re not.
Yes, in the US, our dissidents loved and carried on hands. However, it almost always was about the writers, politicians, etc. They were given prestigious awards, grants, site in the media. It’s trivia for the American authorities, who more than compensated help in the fight against Russia.
But otherwise, when talking about the business. Durov has repeatedly compared not only with Elon Musk, but with mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, which, according to some, he just ripped off his “Vkontakte”. And in WhatsApp he was accused of borrowing ideas for Telegram.
In other words, business is business. If you want to live and work in the West – it is not necessary to beat the bread from a local. The United States has enough of its Maskow, Jobs and Zuckerberg. Russian counterparts they do not need. In any case, to compete with national nuggets the Russian upstarts one corny will not allow, no matter what they may have been the achievements in the fight against the former homeland.
And it is necessary to realize not only Durova, but also to all those who still believe that there are flowing rivers of milk and honey.
However, again, the film will not be destroyed, even losing half a billion. Especially in the context of the current crisis, these money can become paper.
With the money necessary to give up easily, Pavel Valerievich! Not in them happiness…
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