Telegram's Pavel Durov jokes about honeytrap spies, draws backlash

What was Durov joking about?

The post appears to target the scandal around Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Media reports alleged that Huang had an inappropriate relationship with Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore data center company Megaspeed International. Other reports said US intelligence officials were looking into whether she had links to China's Ministry of State Security. The claim that she actually worked as a spy has not been independently confirmed.

Huang resigned from Nvidia on the same day. The board said he leaves management and the board immediately, and CFO Colette Kress becomes interim CEO until a successor is named. Director Harvey C. Jones is the new chair. Huang admitted an extramarital relationship and apologised on 8 November, but further allegations led to an independent board investigation. Nvidia is also looking into whether national security or confidential information was leaked.

Why did people object?

Replies mixed mockery with anger. One user joked that a handsome billionaire who was once kidnapped can't even get a state-sponsored girlfriend. Another simply called it cringe. Others said the post treated women from certain countries as sexual tools. One user said jokes about intelligence services are fine, but Iranian women deserve respect, not a place in a punchline.

The line about France also stirred things up, because it can be read as a nod to the conspiracy theory about Brigitte Macron's gender. That theory has been debunked repeatedly.