Telegram’s moved to the Middle East ‘out of principle’

Pavel Durov, creator of Russian social network VKontakte and the Telegram messenger app, has revealed in an interview to Bloomberg why he’s chosen to rent office space in the United Arab Emirates.

Durov said “it’s a matter of principle” (and a way to save a whole load of cash):

“A lot of people in the western world don’t realize how much taxes limit their options. You can end up paying almost half of your income in taxes, which basically means you’re working for the government 180 days a year. I think I can find better ways to use the money to benefit society,” he added.

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