Telegram has taken a significant leap into the artificial intelligence arena by signing a one-year partnership with Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI. The agreement will bring xAI’s Grok chatbot to Telegram’s global user base, estimated at over one billion. This collaboration signals Telegram’s growing ambition to diversify its monetisation strategy while positioning itself at the forefront of the booming AI chatbot space.
Announced by Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov, the deal marks the first major platform integration for Grok outside of Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter). It also sets the stage for Telegram to become a crucial distribution partner in Musk’s broader AI play.
$300 Million and a Revenue-Sharing Model
As part of the agreement, Telegram will receive a $300 million package from xAI, split between cash and equity in the company. In addition, Telegram will earn 50% of all revenue generated from xAI subscriptions made via the Telegram platform. This dual-income stream not only gives Telegram financial leverage but also aligns its success directly with the growth of Grok’s user base.
This structure reflects Musk’s growing interest in embedding AI tools into widely used consumer platforms while ensuring mutually beneficial terms. For Telegram, which has historically operated with a lean business model and limited monetisation, this marks a pivotal evolution.
Grok’s Expansion and Telegram’s AI Edge
Grok, known for its conversational flair and real-time knowledge, will now be embedded directly into Telegram apps. The rollout is expected in the coming weeks, potentially giving users seamless access to AI-powered assistance within chats, groups, and channels. This move gives Grok immediate access to one of the most active messaging platforms in the world, effectively leapfrogging the typical growth hurdles faced by new AI entrants.
Telegram’s integration of Grok is more than a feature update, it’s a signal of its long-term strategy to transform into a hybrid platform where messaging, media, and AI-powered tools converge.
The Bigger Picture: Premium Growth and AI Synergy
This announcement comes on the heels of Telegram Premium crossing 15 million paid subscribers, a milestone that has doubled over the past year. The addition of AI-driven features like Grok could further incentivise premium upgrades and boost user engagement.
While Telegram maintains its core appeal as a secure and flexible communication tool, this partnership could redefine how users interact within the app, especially if AI becomes central to tasks like content discovery, channel moderation, and community management.
By tapping into xAI’s Grok, Telegram is not only banking on a fresh monetisation stream but also betting on AI as the next frontier of user retention and value creation.
Toncoin Rallies 20% Amid Telegram Buzz
The impact of this partnership rippled through the crypto markets, particularly benefiting Toncoin—the native token of the TON blockchain. Following the Grok announcement and other Telegram-related developments on May 28, Toncoin saw a sharp 20% price surge within hours.
Toncoin’s rally also coincided with news that BlackRock may be participating in Telegram’s $1.5 billion bond sale and that former Visa crypto executive Nikola Plecas has joined the TON Foundation as Vice President of Payments. These combined factors significantly bolstered investor confidence, driving Toncoin’s price to $3.60 and lifting its market cap to $8.9 billion. TON currently ranks as the 19th largest cryptocurrency by market value, according to CoinGecko.
The Telegram-xAI partnership is a win-win: Musk’s Grok gets a global stage, and Telegram strengthens its monetisation and product offering. With a $300 million boost and a share in recurring AI revenue, Telegram is clearly not just a messaging app anymore, it’s gearing up to be a major player in the AI-powered future of communication.
