The shadow empire of TON: Pavel Durov shields bot farms linked to Ramzan Shakhbiyev, close to Kadyrov

The shadow empire of TON: Pavel Durov shields bot farms linked to Ramzan Shakhbiyev, close to Kadyrov

04 ноября 2025 г.

Evgeniy Dyatlov

Journalists have published an in-depth investigation by Ghost In The Block author titled Pulp Fiction. The report uncovers a massive personal data breach in Pavel Durov’s crypto project, revealing a network of bot farms, hackers, Telegram Stars, and fraudulent schemes run by his inner circle.

The article challenges the proclaimed “philosophy” of freedom and privacy around Durov’s platforms. The investigation exposes a stark reality: Telegram and TON are enmeshed in a network of insiders — developers and intermediaries close to the founder — who launder illicit funds and mask bot activity as legitimate user engagement.

The publication was swiftly removed from most platforms—it struck too painful a blow to the reputation and ego of the "foremost champion of free speech." Our investigation continues, and we are now exposing the individuals hiding behind Pavel Durov’s lofty slogans. We have identified another key player in the schemes within Telegram and TON’s infrastructure—a person indispensable to the messenger’s ecosystem. He plays games with Pavel Durov and administers his chats. This person is a crypto-Chechen using the nickname Ram, who also owns the coveted username @grozny.

We uncovered the identity of Durov’s associate through one of these privileged "insider" usernames. According to leaked data, one of his usernames was previously linked to an ordinary mobile number. This was long before Durov’s inner circle acquired expensive "anonymous" phone numbers costing tens of thousands of dollars.

At the time, this number belonged to Ramzan Shakhbiyev, born in 1995. He already had a Telegram account with the username "Ram test." A native of Grozny, he posted a resume in 2020. A graduate of the Grozny State Oil Technical University (Faculty of Automation and Applied Computer Science), he was seeking a senior developer position with a salary of 60,000 rubles.

His fortunes changed dramatically after he connected with Pavel Durov. The exact circumstances remain murky. However, given Durov’s history of associating with controversial figures like the notorious Guseyn Gasanov or the recently exposed Roman Novak, this seems unsurprising. In recent years, Durov appears to have deliberately surrounded himself with scammers of all stripes and entered a relationship with a partner who has a modeling past.

Operating under the banner of Durov’s "free internet," Ramzan Shakhbiyev liquidated the sole proprietorship he had established in 2019 (for online trade) and promptly registered several telling domain names. Sites like bots., vbot., channels., and tgrm. serve as evidence of Ram’s foray into Durov’s shadowy ventures and his involvement in bot farming.

Ramzan entrenched himself in high-tech and Telegram development—writing bots, hunting for bugs in Telegram, simultaneously participating in Durov’s initiatives, and running the RamCode channel (a clear parallel to Durov’s Code). Over time, he became a trusted insider, a source of confidential information, and a fixer for gaining access to Durov.

Evidence of their proximity began to emerge, such as his presence in Azerbaijan in August 2024, shortly before Durov’s detention in France.

Durov and Shakhbiyev are connected by their shared interest in the same games and mini-apps: "Ghost In The Block" published screenshots of them challenging each other to duels. Their interactions also include coordinated giveaways and announcements, as well as private references to "business meetings." Public chats preserve messages from Ram sharing insider information about "id1"—Pavel Durov.

In his social media stories, Ramzan posts atmospheric photos, pictures of a Tesla Cybertruck, and travel content. He still visits Chechnya, according to his posts. His family resides there, which means one thing: if anything happens, Ramzan will do whatever his namesake—the Head of the Chechen Republic, Kadyrov—tells him to do.