- Telegram CEO Pavel Durov offered to buy the jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris
- The jewels were stolen in an eight-minute heist from the Louvre's Apollo Gallery on October 19
- The stolen items are valued at approximately $102 million
Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov has offered to buy the jewels stolen from the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris, but there's one specific condition. In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Durov expressed his willingness to purchase the stolen jewels that were stolen on October 19 in a stunning daylight heist.
The theft was pulled off within eight minutes by thieves who broke into the Louvre Museum's Apollo Gallery using a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift. They took eight pieces of precious jewellery valued at approximately $102 million and ran away. The stolen jewellery included items once owned by Napoleon's wife, Empress Marie-Louise, and Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie.
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French authorities suspect that an organised crime was behind the robbery, with an investigation underway. Now, Durov says he wants to buy the stolen jewels with a unique condition: he wants to donate them to the Louvre Abu Dhabi instead of the Paris museum.
"Happy to buy the stolen jewelry and donate it back to the Louvre. I mean Louvre Abu Dhabi, of course; no one steals from Louvre Abu Dhabi," he wrote.
This statement has sparked a mix of reactions, with some interpreting it as a sarcastic commentary on the security differences between European museums and those in the Middle East.
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Durov's post went viral on social media with over a million impressions on X. Impersonating the robbers, one user jokingly wrote, "I am not giving it back. Some things are not for sale. What I can sell is my time for some job, if you can do that, we'll talk about jewelry."
"Best choice! If I was a bilionair I'll do the same!!! Hope the thieves can see your message and think twice before distrying the Treasure, lose money and get caught!" another user quipped.
Earlier, Durov said he was not surprised by the heist, calling it a "decline" of France. He stated, "Not at all surprised by the Louvre heist. It's another sad sign of the decline of a once great country — where the government has perfected the art of distracting people with phantom threats instead of confronting the real ones."
Durov's arrest in France
Durov was arrested at Le Bourget Airport near Paris on August 24, 2024. The arrest warrant was issued due to allegations of Telegram's lack of cooperation with French authorities and suspected complicity in crimes, including drug trafficking, child exploitation, money laundering and fraud.
Durov was detained for questioning and later released on bail of 5 million euros ($5.4 million) with conditions, including regular police check-ins and a ban on leaving France.
In March 2025, Durov was allowed to fly home to Dubai as French authorities continued their unprecedented case against him.
The French authorities emphasise that the arrest wasn't politically motivated, but Durov has expressed concerns about government interference.
