Audience exceeded 900 million people
Pavel Durov shared interesting news about Telegram in an interview with the Financial Times. He noted that the number of users of this messenger has already exceeded 900 million people.
Durov also expressed confidence that Telegram will begin to generate significant profits in the near future, perhaps as early as next year. And under good circumstances — already in this.
All thanks to the introduction of a paid subscription and the inclusion of advertising in the messenger. This decision was made to ensure the financial sustainability and independence of the platform in the long term.
The main reason we started monetizing is because we wanted to remain independent.
Pavel Durov
An important announcement in the interview was confirmation of plans for an IPO of Telegram. Durov emphasized that this is the only development option for the messenger. He said that the companies «offered a valuation of 30 billion US dollars» from potential investors, including «global technology funds», but he ruled out the possibility of selling the platform while exploring options for an initial public placing shares.
Although there is insider information that Telegram shares will be placed on the American market, Durov noted that the company is considering several options.