In the days following his arrest, media reports surfaced that French President Emmanuel Macron had lured Durov to France by inviting him to dinner. The two had dined in the past, sharing lunch in 2018 as Macron attempted to convince Durov to move Telegram’s headquarters to Paris.
Macron denied that he had lured Durov to France with the promise of dinner or that he even knew Durov was headed to France at the time. However, the rumors persist. A year before the lunch he shared with Durov, Macron’s government reportedly worked with the United Arab Emirates to hack Durov’s phone. US media said that France was pursuing a “long-term effort” to “compromise Telegram.”
Wherever Macron was eating dinner that night, it is clear that for the French government, tech entrepreneur was on the menu. So far, there have been no reports claiming that Durov was heard screaming “It’s a cookbook!” as he was arrested by authorities, but it cannot be ruled out.