Telegram, founded by Pavel Durov in 2013, has experienced significant growth, surpassing 950 million monthly active users.

Despite its massive user base, Telegram operates with a lean workforce of only 30 employees, primarily engineers. Durov personally oversees operations and recruits talent through contests.

The company generates income through a premium subscription service and a privacy-focused advertising platform, with approximately 12 million paid users for its subscription service.

Financially, Telegram is valued at around $30 billion and recently achieved profitability, with total revenue exceeding $1 billion in 2024.