https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/28/xai-to-invest-300m-in-telegram-integrate-grok-into-app/

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The logo for Telegram Signal messenger application arranged on a
smartphone.Image Credits:Lam Yik/Bloomberg / Getty Images
Social
      

xAI to pay Telegram $300M to integrate Grok into the chat app

Ivan Mehta
6:25 AM PDT * May 28, 2025
      

Telegram has struck a partnership with Elon Musk's AI company, xAI,
to distribute the latter's chatbot, Grok, via Telegram and integrate
it into apps available on the chat app's platform for one year.

xAI will pay $300 million in cash and equity to the chat app as part
of the deal, Telegram's CEO Pavel Durov said on Tuesday.

Durov said Telegram will also earn 50% of the revenue from xAI
subscriptions purchased through the app.

Earlier this year, xAI made the Grok chatbot available to Telegram's
premium users. It seems Grok might now be made available to all
users.

A video posted by Durov on X suggested that Grok can be pinned on top
of chats within the app, and users can also ask questions to Grok
from the search bar. Notably, Meta has also integrated Meta AI into
the search bar on Instagram and WhatsApp.

The video also shows that you will be able to use Grok for writing
suggestions, summarizing chats, links, and documents, and creating
stickers. Grok will supposedly also help answer questions for
businesses and assist with moderation.

Note: This story was corrected to clarify that xAI is paying Telegram
$300 million for distributing Grok.

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Topics

AI, Apps, Elon Musk, Pavel Durov, Social, Telegram, xAI
      
Ivan Mehta
Ivan Mehta
  
Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is
based out of India and has previously worked at publications
including Huffington Post and The Next Web. You can reach out to him
at im[at]ivanmehta[dot]com
View Bio
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