Telegram, led by CEO Pavel Durov, has announced a one-year partnership with Elon Musk’s xAI to integrate the Grok AI chatbot across all Telegram apps, reaching its user base of over one billion people. The agreement, revealed on May 28, 2025, involves xAI paying Telegram $300 million in cash and equity, plus granting Telegram 50% of the revenue from xAI subscriptions sold through the app.
🔥 This summer, Telegram users will gain access to the best AI technology on the market. @elonmusk and I have agreed to a 1-year partnership to bring xAI’s @grok to our billion+ users and integrate it across all Telegram apps 🤝
— Pavel Durov (@durov) May 28, 2025
💪 This also strengthens Telegram’s financial… pic.twitter.com/ZPK550AyRV
Grok will become a core part of the Telegram experience starting this summer. The integration is deep: users will be able to access Grok directly from the search bar, pin it to the top of chats, and interact with it in both private and group conversations. Key features may include:
- Smart text editing
- Chat and document summarisation
- Group moderation
- Fact-checking
- Sticker and avatar creation
- And more
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For now, Grok is expected to be available to all users by default, with some premium features possibly reserved for Telegram Premium subscribers.
This move positions Telegram alongside other major messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram, which have already embedded AI chatbots. The partnership not only adds advanced AI capabilities for Telegram users but also strengthens Telegram’s financial position as it seeks new revenue streams beyond its premium subscription model.
True. Agreed in principle, but formalities are pending.
— Pavel Durov (@durov) May 28, 2025
For xAI, this deal dramatically expands Grok’s reach, potentially giving it access to valuable user data for model training and positioning it as a major competitor to other AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Meta AI. The integration is designed to be seamless, requiring no separate downloads, and will be supported across both mobile and desktop apps.
Telegram, founded by Pavel and Nikolai Durov, has recently focused on expanding its financial stability and feature set, including secure group calls and premium services. The Grok partnership is part of a broader strategy to offer advanced AI tools while maintaining Telegram’s reputation for privacy and user control.
