Quick overview

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Telegram CEO Pavel Durov revealed that Elon Musk’s startup xAI is paying the Dubai-based messaging app $300 million to launch its Grok AI chatbot.

Durov claimed that the one-year agreement he reached with Musk “strengthens Telegram’s financial position.”

According to Durov, Telegram will receive half of the money from xAI subscriptions sold on the platform. “The best AI technology available will be available to Telegram users this summer,” Durov wrote. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Telegram is expected to raise at least $1.05 billion in a bond issue on Wednesday after surpassing one billion monthly users in 2025.

Government officials and the military use the messaging app in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where it is widely adopted. In France, where he resides, Durov is being investigated for allegedly permitting criminal activity.

Telegram claimed that it complies with EU regulations and that Durov has “nothing to hide” on Musk’s social media platform X. According to Telegram’s website, the billionaire, who was born in Russia, emigrated to the United Arab Emirates in 2014.

Musk announced in March that xAI and X had merged, valuing the AI company at $80 billion and the social media company at $33 billion. Earlier this month, the company’s Grok chatbot faced criticism when it began making irrelevant remarks in response to user inquiries about the contentious topic of “white genocide” in South Africa.

xAI claimed that the responses were triggered by an “unauthorized modification” that “violated xAI’s internal policies and core values.” In the post, xAI stated, “We have carried out a comprehensive investigation and are putting measures in place to enhance Grok’s transparency and reliability.”