The enigmatic associate of the Telegram founder has attracted attention.
In the tech sphere, this week's shocker: Pavel Durov, the wealthy founder of the messaging app Telegram, was apprehended by police. He was detained at Paris' Le Bourget airport on Saturday, having just stepped off his private jet. He was granted release on Wednesday evening but may still face charges, with a court appearance imminent.
Durov is accused of various offenses by the Paris prosecutor's office, including involvement in fraud, drug distribution, and the unlawful dissemination of child exploitation material on Telegram, carrying a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment.
Yet, an additional intrigue has ignited buzz online. In relation to Durov's detention, a young woman reportedly in his company has vanished without a trace.
Her identity is Julia Wawilowa: A 24-year-old streaming personality and crypto influencer based on her Instagram profile, boasting around 32,000 followers.
Familial connections cut off
The specifics of Wawilowa and Durov's relationship remain unclear. Some social media users suggest they are a couple, while others hypothesize that Wawilowa might be an agent who aided French authorities in accessing Durov. However, there's no concrete data to support these theories.
It is apparent, though, that Wawilowa and Durov have had prior contact and shared trips, according to Baptiste Robert, a data analyst, who provided evidence in a string of tweets. Robert has speculated that Durov has long been surveilled by multiple security agencies, and Wawilowa may have played a part in this. "It's challenging to establish if her posts directly contributed to his arrest," Robert stated to The New York Post, yet "if you followed her on social media, you could easily monitor Durov's movements."
Prior to her disappearance, Wawilowa posted photographs and videos showcasing outdoor activities in Azerbaijan on Instagram, last week. Robert claims Durov had also recently been in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, Durov's private jet originated in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, before landing in Paris. These details have fueled rumors of Durov meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was also in Baku at the time. However, the Kremlin insists that this is not the case.
Historically, strained relations between Russia and Telegram's founder, Pavel Durov, exist mainly due to debates surrounding censorship, information control, and surveillance. Having been in exile since 2014, Durov's most recent location was Dubai. It was publicly known that French authorities were seeking Durov, yet the motive behind his Paris visit last Saturday remains unclear.
As of now, Wawilowa's whereabouts remain unknown. Her Russian parents confirmed on Tuesday that they have not been able to reach her since her arrival in Paris. Was she arrested alongside Durov, or has she gone into hiding? One fact is undeniable: The uncertainty surrounding Wawilowa and her disappearance lends yet another captivating element to Durov's ambiguous case.
This exposé originated from "Finance Forward" – the magazine catering to the new financial landscape, produced in collaboration between "Capital" and OMR.
Durov's lawyers requested a copy of the telegram outlining the specific charges against him in the French court, hoping to clarify the allegations against him. Despite the mysterious disappearance of Julia Wawilowa, who was often seen traveling with Durov, no telegram has been made public yet, adding to the confusion surrounding the case.
