Russian billionaire offers to buy stolen Louvre jewels and return them to Abu Dhabi Museum

Russian billionaire and Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced that he is willing to buy back the jewels stolen from the Louvre and donate them to the museum in Abu Dhabi, claiming that, in his view, “they would be far safer there than in France.”

The 41-year-old entrepreneur made the statement following a brazen daylight heist that shocked France: unknown thieves stole priceless jewelry directly from the iconic Paris museum. The four suspects remain at large.

Durov commented on the incident with his signature irony and a sharp dig at French authorities. “Not at all surprised by the Louvre heist. It’s another sad sign of the decline of a once-great country — where the government has mastered the art of distracting people with phantom threats instead of tackling the real ones,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He added sarcastically: “All you needed was one crane and two motorcycles, brother! Happy to buy the stolen jewelry and return it to the Louvre. I mean Louvre Abu Dhabi, of course — no one steals from Louvre Abu Dhabi.”

The billionaire’s remark has already sparked waves of discussion on social media, blending humor with a pointed critique of museum security in France.