Telegram Premium Hits 15 Million Subscribers but What's the Secret Behind It?

On May 27, 2025, Telegram CEO Pavel Durov announced that Telegram Premium has exceeded 15 million paid subscribers, doubling its count from the previous year . Launched in June 2022, the premium tier offers features like 4GB file uploads, faster downloads, voice-to-text transcription, exclusive stickers, and an ad-free experience.

This milestone coincides with Telegram’s broader monetization efforts. The company recently secured a $1.5 billion bond issuance, attracting investors such as BlackRock and Citadel. Additionally, Telegram partnered with Elon Musk’s xAI to integrate the Grok chatbot into its platform, a deal valued at $300 million in cash and equity, plus a 50% revenue share from xAI subscriptions sold via Telegram .

Also read: What happened to Pavel Durov? Telegram co-founder arrested in France

Telegram’s user base has also grown significantly, surpassing 1 billion monthly active users as of March 2025 . The platform projects a profit exceeding $700 million on $2 billion in revenue for 2025, up from a $540 million profit on $1.4 billion in revenue in 2024 .

Despite CEO Durov facing legal challenges in France over alleged non-cooperation in investigations, Telegram’s growth trajectory remains strong, bolstered by its expanding premium subscriber base and strategic partnerships.