How Does Telegram Make Money?

UNSPLASH Full Article

Telegram, with over 700 million active users, is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps.

[{"selector":"#anim-56503faf-0845-473c-8b90-fe62811b264f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a871b6b7-628e-4544-bfd8-056dc1221d90","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-108.52272%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7a21a35b-2826-4762-83ba-1a0f2d1bb380","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] UNSPLASH Full Article

The app prides itself on its privacy focus. Apart from being end-to-end encrypted, it also doesn’t share data with third parties.

[{"selector":"#anim-f0396f9b-8212-4bb5-a907-992cc9222532","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] UNSPLASH Full Article

Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov who previously started VKontakte, Russia’s local version of Facebook.

[{"selector":"#anim-4f0c9d0b-bad8-4134-b34e-11c511bf5e32","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2cbffe36-83e1-4e68-9ec6-ac88b10b752f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.97735%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c2d5e652-5488-487f-be43-4ec2ed8aece9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] app store Full Article

The Russian government eventually forced the brothers to sell the company and flee the country, which they have been a vocal critic of ever since.

[{"selector":"#anim-4d3f7734-7b28-44f4-b4c8-58ad685129ea","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f19f9d21-964c-4a09-9025-b62ddb1d5a09","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] CANVA Full Article

Nikolai and Pavel used the $260 million they made from the sale to start Telegram, which remains completely free to use.

[{"selector":"#anim-7846e31e-1a19-403a-8047-bcf0dace6362","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6e67f90-cd73-4881-a900-304be2a2cd6e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] UNSPLASH Full Article

Telegram has also been subject to various controversies such as enabling terrorist groups to organize themselves or the sharing of copyrighted material. CANVA Full Article

For the longest time, Telegram was supported by the Durov’s personal funds and the $2.7 billion it raised in venture capital.

[{"selector":"#anim-2c2c637e-472e-4103-967c-233366417efd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b7de1186-cfae-409c-9cae-95ac5f823fd7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebd01bae-72a2-4041-9af9-f5650612a841","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3cddc2e3-86a7-4afd-8d90-ae8ce555eac3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-111.93548%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":600,"duration":800,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Full Article

But how does Telegram, which began monetizing its platform in the end of 2021, currently make money?

[{"selector":"#anim-f39ac28c-8af1-4b9f-8370-4a6219e5d10f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f85ba1df-366f-4fb1-9841-a5a4429bf4c6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-106.28415%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Full Article

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Telegram sells a monthly subscription that grants users access to multiple benefits including animated profile pictures or faster downloads. TELEGRAM'S WEBSITE Full Article

Swipe up to read the full story

[{"selector":"#anim-a17cae40-ee27-46e7-8c64-1a97c44a020a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ac360c4-6439-466a-8b73-12e78a0de954","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-116.72475%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16f795e6-09ab-4e32-b9cc-421e10797f56","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":100,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3cea6e51-8fb7-4943-89e0-c050add38160","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] UNSPLASH Full Article