Lex Fridman Podcast

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

Mittwoch, 1. Oktober 2025 · 4 h 43

MP3

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Pavel Durov is the founder and CEO of Telegram.

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

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

Transcript:

lexfridman.com/pavel-durov-transcript

CONTACT LEX:

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

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

Hiring – join our team: lexfridman.com/hiring

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

EPISODE LINKS:

Pavel’s Telegram: t.me/durov

Pavel’s X: x.com/durov

Telegram: telegram.org

Telegram Contests: contest.com

SPONSORS:

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

Miro: Online collaborative whiteboard platform.

Go to miro.com (lexfridman.com/s/miro-ep482-sc)

UPLIFT Desk: Standing desks and office ergonomics.

Go to upliftdesk.com/lex (lexfridman.com/s/uplift_desk-ep482-sc)

Fin: AI agent for customer service.

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LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix.

Go to drinkLMNT.com/lex (lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep482-sc)

Shopify: Sell stuff online.

Go to shopify.com/lex (lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep482-sc)

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

PODCAST LINKS:

– Podcast Website: lexfridman.com/podcast

– Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr

– Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/4Ie7yPteQlOscjbNFbjzFR

– RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast

– Podcast Playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8Gzts…

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