Pavel Durov, the founder and former CEO of Vkontakte. Pavel Durov/VK
Vkontakte Founder Flees Russia, Claims Persecution -- Moscow Times
Pavel Durov, the founder of Russia’s largest social networking website, fled the country on Tuesday, a day after he said he was forced out as the company’s CEO for refusing to share users’ personal data with Russian law enforcement agencies.
Durov, who created Vkontakte seven years ago, first announced his intention to leave the company on April 1 but withdrew his resignation letter two days later. On Monday, he announced that he had been fired and that the social network would now fall under “full control” of Kremlin-linked Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin and Vkontakte billionaire shareholder Alisher Usmanov.
The move to oust Durov is widely seen as part of a wider campaign by the Kremlin to tighten its grip on the Internet, and observers said the authorities aimed to “cleanse” the management of Russian Internet companies in the hopes of gaining control of their content.
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More News On The Vkontakte Founder Fleeing Russia
No Likes: Putin allies fire the head of ‘Russian Facebook’ and brings social media under state control -- Daily Mail
Russian Social Network Founder Removed as CEO -- Update -- Wall Street Journal
Russia's VKontakte CEO says he was fired, flees Russia -- Reuters
Founder of Russia’s “Facebook” says he was ousted, Putin’s men in “complete control” of the site -- Salon
Russian Facebook site under 'complete control' of Putin allies, says ex-CEO -- The Hill
Russia’s Facebook taken over by Putin allies, founder flees country -- Daily caller
Russian social network founder says he has been fired -- BBC
Durov, Out For Good From VK.com, Plans A Mobile Social Network Outside Russia -- Tech Crunch
“Russian Facebook” founder flees country after being forced out as CEO -- Ars Technica
Ex-CEO of ‘Russian Facebook’: ‘I’m out of Russia and have no plans to go back’ -- RT
Moscow’s War on Social Media Claims a New Casualty -- Daily Beast
Did the Kremlin just 'unfriend' the founder of Russia's Facebook? -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor
My Comment: I saw the winds of change a few months ago .... I closed my personal VKontakte account and told my friends to visit me on Facebook instead. I am not sad with what has happened .... I am more angry. Politics is one of the reasons why Pavel Durov was forced out .... but it is also because of money. VKontakte has the potential to become a major money making machine .... and this is why we are now seeing this gang of Putin loyalists taking over .... they all want a piece of that pie.
Update: Here is a good commentary .... Land of No Opportunity for Russian Zuckerberg -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg
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