Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has sparked international debate after offering to buy priceless jewels stolen from Paris’s Louvre Museum. Durov stated he would donate the estimated $102 million worth of artifacts to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, not the original Paris institution. His controversial remarks followed a brazen daylight heist on October 19, 2025, that saw thieves escape with eight royal artifacts. F^[1][2][3]rench authorities have since arrested two suspects in connection with the sophisticated robbery. ^[4][3]### Louvre Hit by Daring Daylight Heist The theft unfolded rapidly on October 19, 2025, at the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris. F^[5][2][6]our unidentified suspects carried out a daring operation, targeting the Apollo Gallery, which houses France’s historic royal gems. The^[1][5][4] thieves reportedly used a lift truck with an extendable ladder to reach a first-floor window. The^[4][6][7]y cut through the glass with an angle grinder and fled the scene on scooters, completing the heist in a matter of minutes. Th^[1][5]e stolen items included several pieces of immense historical value, such as crowns, brooches, and emerald necklaces once owned by Empress Eugénie and Empress Marie-Louise. Thes^[1][2][3]e royal artifacts are collectively valued at approximately $102 million, or €88 million. French^[1][4][3] Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez indicated that authorities suspect organized crime involvement due to the precision and speed of the operation. One pie^[1]ce, an emerald-set imperial crown belonging to Empress Eugénie, was reportedly dropped during the getaway but was later recovered outside the museum, though damaged. ### Dur^[3][8]ov’s Provocative Offer and Criticism Pavel Durov, the 39-year-old founder of the encrypted messaging app Telegram, quickly weighed in on the incident. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disbelief and sharp criticism of French authorities. Durov wrot^[1][5]e, "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." He then fol^[1][5][2]lowed up with a post that quickly went viral, stating, "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." This comment^[1][5] was widely seen as a sarcastic jab at security standards in Europe compared to those in the Middle East. Durov argued^[1][2] that the treasures would be "safer in the UAE than in France." His remarks^[2][9] have sparked considerable online debate. Critics accused him of politicizing a crime, while supporters viewed his statements as a commentary on France's governance and public security systems. The offer hi^[10]ghlights a broader tension between Western and Gulf institutions regarding cultural heritage and its preservation. ### Context^[1] of Durov’s Strained Relationship with France Durov's provocative offer comes less than a year after his arrest in France in August 2024. He was detaine^[10][11]d at Le Bourget Airport on suspicion of crimes facilitated through Telegram, including child exploitation, drug trafficking, and money laundering. Durov, a dual ^[10][11]citizen of France and the UAE, has vigorously denied these charges. His past arre^[10][11]st and ongoing legal challenges have strained his relationship with French authorities. Durov has been^[10] a vocal critic of what he perceives as government attempts to undermine user privacy, particularly in Europe. He previously ^[12][13]accused France of trying to pass a law that would require messaging services to scan users' private messages, a move he claims Germany's intervention prevented. His latest com^[12]ments on the Louvre heist appear to be another deliberate attempt to insult and provoke French officials. ### Louvre Ab^[10]u Dhabi and Museum Security Concerns The Louvre Abu Dhabi, which opened in 2017, is a prominent art museum in the United Arab Emirates. It was establi^[1]shed as part of a significant cultural collaboration between France and the UAE. Durov's sugges^[1]tion to house the stolen jewels there implicitly praises the security systems in the UAE, contrasting them with the perceived vulnerabilities of European museums. The Paris hei^[1][12]st has indeed raised serious questions about museum security. The Louvre's d^[6][7]irector reportedly acknowledged a "terrible failure" and admitted that the robbers exploited a blind spot in the museum's external security surveillance. This incident ^[4][7]follows other recent art thefts in France, including a robbery at the Natural History Museum and another at a museum in eastern France. These events h^[7]ave put pressure on the French government to address security lapses in its cultural institutions. Culture Minist^[4][7]er Rachida Dati has requested findings from an investigation into the Louvre's security to implement concrete measures. ### Police Ma^[7]ke Arrests, Investigation Continues Despite Durov's controversial remarks, French police have made progress in the investigation. On October 26, 2025, French authorities announced the arrest of two suspects believed to have assisted in the heist. One man was ap^[4][3][6]prehended at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he prepared to leave the country for Algeria. The second sus^[4][3][7]pect was arrested later in the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb north of Paris. Both men, in t^[6]heir 30s and known to police, were taken into custody on suspicion of organized theft and criminal conspiracy. Investigators^[6][7] are analyzing over 150 DNA samples, fingerprints, and other traces left at the scene, including gloves, a high-visibility vest, and power tools. While arrests ^[4][7]have been made, the stolen jewels, apart from the recovered crown, have not yet been publicly announced as found. The investigation continues as authorities work to recover the priceless artifacts and bring all perpetrators to justice.