Telegram founder responds to funding controversy: Independent control, no Russian investment involved

【Blockchain Rhythm】Recently, there has been a heated debate about the source of funding for Telegram, and founder Pavel Durov personally came forward to clarify. He stated that despite various unreliable rumors from the outside world, Telegram’s funding sources have really nothing to do with Russian capital.

So what’s the specific situation? The recent $1.7 billion bond issuance by Telegram had no Russian investors involved. The old bonds issued years ago? They have mostly been repaid, so that’s not an issue at all. Moreover, even if there are bondholders, they are just creditors and have no say in the company’s operational decisions—basically, it’s just a borrowing relationship, not shareholders.

Durov emphasized that he is the sole shareholder of Telegram, and this is beyond dispute.

These remarks are in response to previous reports. Some media had disclosed that Telegram had frozen about $500 million in Russian bonds due to Western sanctions, which made them untradeable. Now it seems Durov is directly addressing these doubts, clearly laying out his financing structure and decision-making control.