 "Telegram turns profitable for first time after paying down $2 billion debt")
By Yazhou Sun and Mark Bergen
Social media app Telegram is profitable for the first time after paying down “a meaningful share” of some $2 billion in debt, Chief Executive Officer Pavel Durov said in a post on X Monday.
The milestone comes as the messaging service faces increasing scrutiny for aiding the spread of misinformation and illegal content such as child sexual abuse materials. French prosecutors in August charged the Russian-born Durov in connection with alleged crimes committed on the app and he is not allowed to leave the country.
Telegram’s total revenue surpassed $1 billion in 2024, and it has more than $500 million in cash reserves, not including cryptoassets, Durov said.
Telegram, with more than 900 million active users, has drawn the ire of governments ranging from the European Union to authoritarian regimes in Russia and Iran due to the illegal content it hosts and its unresponsiveness to takedown requests.
In Moldova, authorities alleged it was used this year to organize a Russia-backed operation designed to undermine the country’s European aspirations.
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