Mr. Durov launched Telegram in late 2013 with his brother, Nikolai, just months before he was pushed out of VK, the Russian social-media platform he founded. Mr. Durov pitched his new app—funded with the proceeds from the VK sale—less as a business than as a way for people to send messages while avoiding government surveillance and censorship.
That strategy is the acquisition of a value-priced company by a growth company. Using the growth company's higher-priced stock for the acquisition can produce outsized revenue and earnings growth. Even better is the use of cash, particularly in a growth period when financial aggressiveness is accepted and even positively viewed.he key public rationale behind this strategy is synergy - the 1+1=3 view. In many cases, synergy does occur and is valuable. However, in other cases, particularly as the strategy gains popularity, it doesn't. Joining two different organizations, workforces and cultures is a challenge. Simply putting two separate organizations together necessarily creates disruptions and conflicts that can undermine both operations.
