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Telegram hopes to raise $1bn with a convertible bond private placement

The super secure UAE-based Telegram messenger service, developed by Russian-born software icon Pavel Durov, is looking to raise $1bn through a bond placement to a limited number of investors from Russia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the Kommersant daily reported citing unnamed sources on February 18, 2021.The issue reportedly comprises exchange bonds that could be converted into equity in the messaging service that is currently 100% owned by Durov and his brother Nikolai.Kommersant reports that the price of the conversion would be at a 10% discount to a potential IPO should it happen within five years.The minimum bond placement is said to be set at $50mn, but could be lowered to $10mn. Five-year bonds could carry an annual coupon of 7-8%.

Why Telegram?

Telegram has no known backdoors and, even though it is come in for criticism for using proprietary encryption methods instead of open-source ones, those have yet to be compromised. While no messaging app can guarantee a 100% impermeable defense against determined attackers, Telegram is vulnerabilities are few and either theoretical or based on spoof files fooling users into actively enabling an attack.