Telegram founder Pavel Durov has announced that the messaging app’s monthly active users (MAU) have exceeded 1 billion. He shared this milestone in an official statement on his Telegram channel.
According to Durov, excluding WeChat, which is primarily focused on the Chinese market, Telegram has become the second most popular messenger in the world. User engagement has also been on the rise, with each user opening Telegram an average of 21 times a day and spending 41 minutes on the app daily.
Telegram’s revenue in 2024
In 2024, Telegram generated $547 million in revenue, with $335 million recorded in the first half of the year alone.
Durov claimed that while WhatsApp continues to dominate the messaging market, it has spent years copying Telegram’s innovations. He also alleged that Meta has invested billions of dollars in lobbying and PR campaigns to hinder Telegram’s growth, but these efforts have failed.
Durov emphasized that Telegram has continued to grow while maintaining its independence, unlike WhatsApp.
Pavel Durov’s arrest in France
Durov’s mention of “maintaining independence” may be a reference to his arrest in France in August 2024. At the time, he was facing six criminal charges, including allegations of facilitating illegal financial transactions through Telegram. The investigation remains ongoing.
In December, Durov announced that Telegram had become profitable for the first time since its monetization efforts began three years ago and that 2024 had been an exceptionally successful year for the company.
Telegram Premium and advertising revenue
One of the key drivers of Telegram’s financial success has been the rapid growth of its Premium subscription service, with Premium users tripling to reach 12 million. Additionally, advertising revenue has increased several times over, pushing the platform’s total revenue beyond $1 billion.
Pavel Durov returns to Dubai
Earlier, the news outlet Spot reported that following his arrest in France, Pavel Durov left the country for the first time and returned to Dubai.
With Telegram’s continued growth and financial stability, it has firmly established itself as one of the world’s leading messaging platforms, ranking just behind WeChat and WhatsApp in terms of popularity.
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