For Pavel, health is not an end in itself. The main thing, he says, is productivity, clarity of thought, as well as training willpower and self-discipline. Photo: Pavel Durov’s personal page on social networks.
People are actively discussing a photo of billionaire Pavel Durov with a naked torso recently published on the Internet. The majority verdict: Photoshop! Is it possible to look so young and cool at 39 years old?
Another version: Durov takes a weight loss drug, now popular among the rich and stars of show business, including Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian. Some are sure that Pavel is a client of the plastic surgeon Khaidarov, who made “cubes” in his stomach Philip Kirkorov.
I will disappoint the “judges.” Durov began posting the first bare-chested photos of himself on social media in 2017. At the time, the Danish pharmaceutical company had just completed clinical trials of a drug for the treatment of diabetes. And British scientists at the University of Leeds only suggested its possible effectiveness in obesity. The drug was approved in the United States in December 2017. The European Union allowed it on the market in 2018. Registered in Russia in August 2019.
Durov, judging by the photo, was slim and healthy even before the release of this drug.
Well, talking about Khaidarov’s clinic is usually fun. He appeared in Moscow in 2021, when Pavel already had natural abs.
It’s time to reveal the secrets of youth and thinness of the person on the Forbes billionaire list. Let us remember that, in March 2024, Durov’s fortune is estimated at $11.5 billion and he is ranked 171 in the world ranking of the super-rich on the planet.
You can’t borrow the dream
On his 36th birthday, Durov told how he manages to look younger than his age.
– I asked the same question to many people who age gracefully. From Jared Leto (Oscar-winning actor, vegan-Ed.) to a simple fitness trainer who looks 25 when he’s 50. Here’s what they do (and don’t do):
1. Avoid alcohol. There may be rare exceptions, but in general, alcohol (like other addictive substances) makes people less healthy and visually older.
2. Get enough sleep. Sleep is the time when your body recovers. You can’t lend money: you can’t compensate for lack of sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekend.
3. Don’t overeat. Excess weight makes people look older and is correlated with dozens of diseases. I usually eat twice a day or one meal a day without snacking. Eating more than 3 times a day is just a habit. Bad.
4. Exercises. Moderate but regular exercise helps people look healthier and live longer. Personally, I don’t do much cardio (I prefer to walk/bike/swim outdoors). When I train for strength, I prefer moderate weights.
5. Limit stress.
6. Don’t eat meat. You can eat seafood and wild fish. But most people who look younger avoid farm-raised red meat. I suspect the unhealthy nature of such meat has to do with the way livestock are raised and slaughtered (growth hormones, antibiotics, feed, etc.).
From the editor: Many experts believe that a person cannot live without red meat: our body can only obtain some useful substances from it.
7. Live alone. Surprisingly, all of the young-looking, middle-aged men I spoke to had lived alone for most of their lives. This may be a result of your independence from the other person’s sleeping, eating, and behavioral patterns. Or is it simply a correlation, and people who are independent of unhealthy social norms are also independent in their personal lives? (However, there are studies that show that social connections and communication prolong the life of older people and have a good effect on their mental activity. – Ed.)
I’ve followed these rules for over 10 years, with “sleep more” being the hardest due to the nature of my job.
An avalanche of garbage on the Internet
At 37, the billionaire compiled a list of underrated and overrated things in life.
Underrated:
Dream. Increases immunity, creativity and psychological well-being.
Nature. Nature is the environment in which we are biologically designed to feel good.
Loneliness. She gives you the freedom to achieve spiritual and intellectual advances.
Overrated:
Big cities. Sources of pollution, crime and noise. It is good to have access to its resources, but it is advisable to live outside the cities.
Restaurants. They offer the least efficient way of eating. Cooking at home allows you to eat healthier and have better control over your ingredients.
Hot weather. Sunny weather can lead to not only a slow lifestyle, but also risk of cancer and faster aging. Colder temperatures, on the other hand, clear the spirit, body and mind.
Fashion. The never-ending quest to keep up with ever-changing trends comes at a cost. Focusing on comfortable clothing makes life easier and frees up space for important things.
Real estate. Purchasing real estate often limits options and is a questionable investment. Renting gives you more freedom of movement.
Social media. The constant stream of social media junk that clutters our minds reduces our happiness and creativity. Disconnecting from these internet services is the best thing we can do on any given day.
Celebrity tips. Celebrities often give unsubstantiated advice outside their area of expertise. For all the important things in life, it is best to rely on accurate scientific data and expert opinion.
Fasting for body and mind
Durov – continue. Veganism (from the English sea – sea + part of the word “vegan”) is a diet now popular in the West. The Sigans are vegans who consume exclusively plant foods, fish and seafood.
20 years ago he gave up meat, fast food, caffeine and alcohol. In 2018, I excluded dairy products, eggs, fructose, bread and other flour products from my diet.
The billionaire also practices intermittent fasting (its benefits are not scientifically proven. According to many scientists, the effect here is not in the fasting itself, but in the control of nutrition. – Ed.). Pavel goes 18 hours a day without eating. He eats twice in the remaining 6 hours. Or even once a day.
Testaments of youth
The billionaire’s motto: “Self-discipline is the key to health, wealth and happiness!”
In a word, what Durov is really doing is a banal healthy lifestyle. And without fanaticism. Moderate training in the gym, walking, swimming, cycling, getting enough sleep, dieting – all this is within everyone’s reach.
However, for Pavel health is not an end in itself. He introduced dietary restrictions “to achieve greater productivity and clarity of thought, as well as to train willpower and self-discipline.” To strengthen his willpower he practices winter swimming, for which he flies every winter from Dubai, where Telegram’s headquarters is located, to Finland or Switzerland.
“If you are younger than me and looking for a key takeaway, here it is: “Never drink alcohol,” Pavel advises young people. – As soon as you give up alcohol, you will stop drowning your intuition, which will tell you what is good and what is bad for you. You will understand everything you need to know on your own and will not depend on other people’s advice.
FROM THE KP FILE
Pavel Durov, 39 years old. Born in Leningrad. His father is a Doctor of Philology, his mother is a professor. He graduated with honors from the Faculty of Philology of St. Petersburg State University. Creator and former CEO of the popular social network VKontakte. I sold it in 2014. In 2013 he created the Telegram messenger. In 2017, he moved the company’s headquarters to Dubai. Telegram now has 900 million active users. Potential investors value the company at more than $30 billion. But Durov has no plans to sell it yet.
By Russian standards, Durov is a rare billionaire. He does not have palaces, villas, estates, vineyards, private planes, yachts and other attributes of our nouveau riche. And he is proud of it.
Pavel encrypts his personal life. He lives alone. It seems there is a son and daughter from his ex-wife Daria. Rumors periodically circulate about his affairs with models.
