Status Report as of April 1, 2025.
Social Fund's pensioner count drops to about 40.9 million individuals.
Let's dive into the financial nitty-gritty of VKontakte, Telegram, Viber, and WhatsApp (the heavy hitters of the digital sphere) as of April 1, 2025.
The Empire Strikes Back: VKontakte (VK Company Limited)
This bad boy showed some serious growth, y'all! Q1 of 2025 saw VKontakte rake in a whopping RUB 35.5 billion (roughly $428 million USD) in revenue, a 16% boost compared to the previous year [1][2]! But let's not pop champagne just yet - despite the revenue growth, they took a bit of a hit, with a significant net loss that almost tripled [2]. Looks like it's time to issue some shares, VK.
This financial triumph wasn't achieved through sheer luck; VKontakte expanded its services, including beefing up Mail Cloud data volume and the phenomenal success of RuStore, gathering over 100 million installations [2]. We're talking big Rothchild-level expansion here!
The Dread Pirate Bob: Telegram
Unfortunately, we couldn't find specific economic data on Telegram as of April 1, 2025. However, we know that Mr. Dread Pirate Bob (the man behind the scenes, Pavel Durov) makes his bones through premium services and advertising. But it's a tight-lipped ship over there - they don't publicly release detailed financial reports [3]. Guess we can't expect Mr. Durov to pull a Captain Jack Sparrow while sharing their financial treasure map, huh?
The Grey Ghost: Viber
Much like our mysterious friend the Telegram, Viber remains shrouded in secrecy when it comes to their financials. But we do know that they make their dough through Viber Out (a Voice-over-Internet Protocol service) and advertising. Again, details? No sir, we don't have any. [4]
The Behemoth: WhatsApp
As a Meta (AKA Facebook) subsidiary, WhatsApp's finances are tightly interwoven with Facebook's overall financials. However, they don't generate a lot of their greenbacks through traditional sales methods. Instead, they focus on enhancing the Meta ecosystem by virtue of their gargantuan user base and potential future monetization strategies like WhatsApp Business [5].
So, there you have it: VKontakte leads the pack in terms of financial transparency, writing a hefty revenue cheque while grappling with increased net loss. Meanwhile, Telegram, Viber, and the mighty WhatsApp, like Chameleon, Owl, and Fox in the digital Forest of... (or Something Labeled Under Marc Andreessen?) remain mysterious, their cards close to their chests, for now.
- Despite the lack of specific economic data, it's known that Telegram, led by Pavel Durov, generates income primarily through premium services and advertising, mirroring the notoriously secretive nature of the company.
- In stark contrast, VKontakte, the standout of the group, publicly disclosed revenue figures of approximately $428 million USD in Q1 of 2025, indicating an impressive 16% growth year-on-year, with expansion efforts in Mail Cloud data volume and RuStore contributing significantly to this growth.
- Just like Telegram, Viber's financials remained hidden, with the company generating revenue through Viber Out Voice-over-Internet Protocol service and advertising, contributing to the enigma surrounding the messaging platform.
- WhatsApp, a Meta subsidiary, has its finances closely tied to Facebook's overall financials, focusing more on expanding the Meta ecosystem through its vast user base and potential future monetization strategies, rather than relying on traditional sales methods.
