Tech
Telegram Strikes $300M Deal With Elon Musk’s xAI to Bring Grok AI to Over 1 Billion Users
The one-year partnership includes a major cash-and-equity infusion and revenue sharing, sending Telegram’s TON token soaring over 18%.
In a high-stakes move that could redefine AI integration in messaging platforms, Telegram has officially partnered with Elon Musk’s xAI to integrate its conversational AI product Grok directly into Telegram’s ecosystem. The one-year agreement, announced by Telegram founder Pavel Durov on X (formerly Twitter), includes a $300 million cash and equity investment from xAI and promises to share 50% of all Grok subscription revenue generated within Telegram.
“This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market,” wrote Durov, hailing the deal as a win-win for both companies and their global user base. With more than 1 billion users, Telegram is now poised to become one of the most expansive AI distribution platforms overnight.
The partnership comes at a time when Telegram is seeking to raise $1.5 billion through a bond offering, backed by heavyweight investors like BlackRock, Mubadala, and Citadel. The capital is intended to repurchase earlier bond debt issued in 2021, reinforcing Telegram’s financial standing as it aggressively scales both product offerings and monetization strategies.
Durov revealed that Grok would be “integrated across all Telegram apps,” giving users seamless access to AI-powered functionalities, potentially ranging from smart replies and content generation to advanced chatbot interactions and productivity tools. With Grok’s integration, Telegram is not only entering the AI race—it’s leaping ahead.
The announcement had an immediate impact on the market. The TON token—Telegram’s native cryptocurrency for its TON (The Open Network) blockchain—surged 18.5% within hours, climbing from $3.28 to $3.55. The price rally began even before the official announcement, signaling that investors had strong confidence in the strategic value of the collaboration.
Elon Musk’s xAI, launched in 2023, has been aggressively positioning Grok as a rival to major AI models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. This deal gives Grok an unprecedented global launchpad, potentially placing it in the hands of over a billion mobile users by summer 2025.
The integration also reflects a growing trend among tech platforms to embed AI deeply into user experiences, making advanced tools accessible without leaving the app. With Telegram’s secure and feature-rich platform as the host, Grok may soon see adoption rates far beyond those of browser-based or standalone AI services.
This strategic collaboration sets the stage for a new frontier where messaging meets machine learning at scale, promising powerful AI tools for the masses—right from the comfort of a chat window.