The owner of a hugely popular Telegram messaging app channel has sold it for 1.2 million rubles ($20,500) just two months after launching it, the vc.ru online startup outlet reported Wednesday.
Both the founder, stand-up comic Artur Chaparyan, and an anonymous buyer confirmed details of the sale of the “Byvshaya” (Your Ex-Girlfriend) channel.
Chaparyan told vc.ru he “got tired and chose the money,” identifying the buyer as someone who professionally promotes Telegram channels. “He monetizes it more successfully than I do because that’s what he does,” Chaparyan said.
The comic has reportedly already handed over the rights to his channel, which was the most-viewed channel in July and had garnered nearly 80,000 followers when the sale was reported on Aug. 29.
“Your Ex-Girlfriend” features posts from a fictional character who writes one-line missives to her ex-boyfriend. Her posts give readers the impression she regrets breaking up with him: “I passed by your house this morning.” “I dreamt of you today.” “Did your mother ask anything about me?” “Did you call me from an unknown number?” and “Why am I writing this?”
A week after the channel’s creation on June 12, a post mentions its former owner by name, saying “I am only now realizing that I should not have slept with Chaparyan.”
The buyer reportedly goes by the pseudonym “Yura Korb.” He told vc.ru that “Your Ex-Girlfriend” is the third Telegram channel that he maintains as part of his “Black Team” group. Korb estimates all three channels rake in a combined 500,000 rubles per month revenue from ads, “depending on the season.”
Korb says he plans to keep channel's original content but will work to monetize the project more effectively.
Chaparyan told vc.ru he had earned less than 1 million rubles from seven promotional posts he made during his tenure at the helm of the popular channel.
The Medialogiya monitoring company names “Your Ex-Girlfriend” as the most-viewed Telegram channel in July with 290,000 average views per post.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
