Telegram founder Pavel Durov recently responded to various concerns on social media. He clearly stated that despite circulating panic and uncertainty, Telegram is not dependent on Russian capital support.

In fact, the $1.7 billion bonds recently issued by the company do not include any Russian investors. The old bonds issued in 2021 have long been paid off and are not an issue at all. Many people tend to confuse a concept — bondholders and shareholders are two different things. Durov emphasized that he himself is the true and sole shareholder of Telegram.

There were reports that the $500 million bonds issued by Telegram in Russia were frozen due to Western sanctions. This indeed drew a lot of attention, but in terms of financing channels, new sources of funds have already shifted completely to other directions.