Elon Musk's xAI partners with messaging app Telegram in $300 million Grok deal
Elon Musk's startup xAI is paying Telegram $300 million to roll out its Grok chatbot.
Elon Musk's startup xAI is paying the Dubai-based messaging platform Telegram $300 million to roll out its Grok artificial intelligence chatbot, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced in a post on Wednesday.
Durov said he and Musk struck a year-long partnership that "strengthens Telegram's financial position."
In addition to the $300 million payment from xAI, Telegram will also earn 50% of the revenue from xAI subscriptions that are sold on the platform, according to Durov.
"This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market," Durov wrote.
xAI and Telegram did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Telegram passed 1 billion monthly users in 2025, and the company is set to raise at least $1.5 billion in a bond issue on Wednesday, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. The messaging platform is popular in countries like Russia and Ukraine, where it is used by government officials and the military.
Durov is facing an investigation in France, where he is a citizen, for allegedly allowing criminal activity including drug trafficking, fraud and child pornography on Telegram. Following his arrest in August, Durov has been barred from leaving France without authorization.