Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram, revealed holding 'a few hundred million dollars' in Bitcoin and fiat, emphasizing the importance of secure communication tools amid increasing government surveillance. Durov highlighted the challenges faced by privacy-focused services, including attempts by the FBI to infiltrate Telegram. He advocates for the UAE as a base for such enterprises due to its geopolitical neutrality and discussed the financial independence of his company from venture capital. The context includes warnings about expanded NSA surveillance capabilities.