Telegram Founder Announces Collaboration with Elon Musk
According to webangah News Agency, Pavel Durov, CEO of Telegram, stated on Wednesday that Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI will invest $300 million in cash and equity to integrate its AI chatbot Grok into the messaging platform.
Durov explained that he and Musk agreed on the one-year partnership to strengthen Telegram’s financial position.”we are receiving $300 million from xAI in cash and stock, plus 50% of xAI’s subscription revenue generated through Telegram,” he clarified.
Hours later, Musk denied any signed contract on his platform X but provided no further details. durov responded that both parties had reached an agreement “in principle,” pending formalities.
Telegram confirmed Grok’s integration this summer, enabling users to access AI-powered features directly within the app-including content creation and open discussions on various topics.
The announcement coincides with Telegram’s efforts to raise at least $1.5 billion through new bond issuances and backing from prior investors like BlackRock and abu Dhabi’s ADQ.Reports indicate these funds will primarily retire debt from earlier bond sales.
The deal underscores investor confidence in Telegram despite CEO Durov facing legal challenges in France. Arrested in August 2024 over allegations of complicity in crimes by users (including extremism and child exploitation), he was released on €5 million ($5.46 million) bail. Though permitted to return to Dubai in March, his recent U.S. travel request was denied, leaving him under restricted movement.
telegram’s popularity continues rising-it surpassed 1 billion monthly active users in 2025, while 2024 marked its first profitable year with over $1 billion revenue, driven by premium subscriptions and ad performance.
