Despite the pressure that Messaging platform Telegram has faced for some time now, it has now reached a major milestone – it has now turned profitable. This comes after years of financial struggles and legal challenges, as well as ongoing scrutiny for hosting illicit content and the arrest of its founder, Pavel Durov, in France.
Durov took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to share the news. The company, for the current year, saw its revenue exceed the $1 billion mark, marking a substantial increase from nearly $350 million the previous year. This comes at a time when Telegram decided to introduce multiple monetization channels, including a premium subscription service (which was first launched two years ago and now has around 12 million paying users) and a more aggressive advertising strategy.
In addition to this, Telegram has also introduced paid content within channels and expanded video services, as well as provided a paid, ad-supported experience for its users. Durov noted that Telegram will end the year with “more than $500 million in cash reserves.”
Telegram is now profitable 🏆
📈 This year, the number of Telegram Premium subscribers tripled, exceeding 12 million. Our ad revenue also increased a few times. Telegram's total revenue in 2024 surpassed $1 billion, and we are closing the year with more than $500 million in cash…
— Pavel Durov (@durov) December 23, 2024
Its cryptocurrency ventures have played a role in supporting its finances as well – Telegram has sold significant quantities of Toncoin, a digital currency it developed within its ecosystem, to generate revenue, improve its cash flow, and help pay down its debt. Furthermore, the firm is already exploring ways to integrate cryptocurrency further into its platform, including allowing users to mine digital currencies and exchange them through third-party applications. If this pans out, Telegram could gain new sources of revenue in the future.
While Telegram’s profitability is a welcome development for the company, it comes amid increasing legal scrutiny and accusations that the platform is being used to facilitate illegal activities. As hinted at earlier, Telegram has long been criticized for its lenient content moderation policies, which have made it a hub for criminal activity, including child exploitation materials, drug trafficking, and extremist content. The firm was deep in debt as well (Durov noted in his post that the debt amounted to nearly $2 billion) and now, he claims that Telegram has paid down “a meaningful share” of it.
The platform’s lack of responsiveness to takedown requests has drawn the ire of governments and regulators worldwide, most notably in Europe, Russia, and Iran. The situation escalated in August 2024 when Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, was arrested in France on charges related to the platform’s role in illegal activities. He was accused of failing to adequately address harmful content on the app, which led to his detention upon arrival in Paris. Durov was later granted conditional release on bail.
In response, Telegram has ramped up its efforts to monitor and remove illegal content from the platform. The company has hired over 750 contractors to moderate user-generated content, and it reported that it blocked over 15 million groups and channels in 2024 alone. Telegram’s moderation efforts are particularly focused on curbing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), terrorist propaganda, and fraudulent activities.
