Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of VKontakte (VK), speaks at the Digital Life Design conference in 2012. Durov sold his remaining stake in VK earlier this week. Yet thats exactly the scenario thats unfolded over the past few months in St. Petersburg, where Pavel Durov, the eccentric founder of social networking site VKontakte (VK), is suddenly persona non grata. Durov, 29, sold his remaining stake in VK this week, officially ending his tenure at the helm of Russias most popular social network and turning the page on more than two years of turmoil and political strife.