Telegram Nearing Profitability, Contemplating IPO, Reveals Owner Durov

In his first interview since 2017, Pavel Durov, co-founder of Telegram, discussed the future of the messaging service, specifically its financial future. Durov revealed that an initial public offering (IPO) is being considered. In 2013, Durov and his brother Nikolai founded Telegram, but Pavel Durov is now the sole owner of the company. He expressed his hope of turning a profit within the next year, stating that the company has already begun monetizing its services. Durov sees value in an IPO as a means to democratize access to Telegram’s value. Interestingly, despite receiving offers from investors valuing the company at over $30 billion, Durov plans to pursue a listing in the United States once the company becomes profitable.

To raise funds, Telegram has already secured $2 billion through bond issues since 2021. In an effort to incentivize bondholders, Telegram has offered a 10-20% discount on the IPO if it occurs before March 2026. Durov mentioned the possibility of following Reddit’s lead by offering “loyal” users shares during the IPO. Reddit recently filed for an IPO, aiming to raise $519 million with a total fundraise of $748 million. In a separate attempt to bolster its finances, Telegram launched an advertising platform this month, operating on the TON blockchain. Channel owners on Telegram’s platform will receive 50% of the total advertising revenue generated by displaying ads on their channels.

According to the Financial Times, Telegram currently boasts 900 million users and has approximately 50 employees. This makes it the fourth-largest messaging service in the world. Prior to Telegram, Durov co-founded Vkontakte, Russia’s most popular social media platform, in 2007. Telegram faced a setback in 2019 when the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued the company, halting its $1.7 billion initial coin offering for the launch of GRAM. Telegram ultimately abandoned its plans to launch the coin and withdrew from the TON Network in May 2020.