Elon Musk Denies Signed $300M xAI Telegram Deal Amid Partnership Claims

Telegram founder Pavel Durov announced a planned partnership with Elon Musk's AI company xAI to integrate the Grok chatbot into Telegram, promising users access to advanced AI features and significant financial benefits, including $300 million in cash and equity plus 50% of subscription revenues. However, Elon Musk quickly refuted the announcement, stating that no deal had been signed, though Durov clarified that an agreement in principle exists pending formalities. This public discrepancy has drawn attention due to the high-profile nature of both parties and the potential impact on Telegram’s large user base, which recently surpassed one billion monthly active users. The integration of Grok would mark a notable expansion of Musk's AI technology, which has already been incorporated into platforms like Palantir and is seen as a competitor to other AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. Despite the ongoing negotiations, the situation underscores the complexities and challenges in finalizing high-stakes tech partnerships amid public scrutiny. Meanwhile, Telegram continues to grow financially and strategically, planning a bond issuance to support its expansion.