Elon Musk has indicated that X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, plans to significantly increase creator payouts, positioning the move as part of a broader effort to compete with YouTube and retain original, authoritative content.
The comments came during a public exchange on Dec. 29–30, when users argued that platforms willing to compensate creators directly would be the only ones able to sustain high-quality content as artificial intelligence systems increasingly absorb and reproduce material from across the internet. Musk replied, “Ok, let’s do it, but rigorously enforcing no gaming of the system.”
X’s head of product, Nikita Bier, confirmed that the company is working on an updated payout model, claiming a new system “should wipe out 99% of fraud.” However, the company has yet to disclose specific payout rates, timelines, or eligibility criteria.
According to Musk and Bier’s comments, the increased payouts are likely to be tied to a Premium+ subscription requirement, meaning only paying or verified users would initially qualify for enhanced earnings. That condition could significantly limit the number of creators who benefit in the early stages of the rollout.
The strategic motivation is clear. As AI-generated content continues to flood digital platforms, companies are under pressure to incentivize original, human-created work. YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram have all heavily invested in creator monetization tools, and X has long been viewed as lagging — often serving as a promotional or secondary income stream rather than a primary revenue driver.
Still, the competitive gap remains wide. In 2024, YouTube superstar MrBeast tested X’s monetization by posting content identical to his YouTube uploads. He later revealed that a single X post earned approximately $264,000, but stated that YouTube generated “substantially more” revenue for the duplicate content.
“Competing with YouTube revenue gonna be pretty hard,” MrBeast said at the time. “They’re the best platform to ever exist at this. I’ve done nine figures in ad revenue on just one channel.”
Structurally, X’s payout potential is constrained by its revenue base. As of October 2024, roughly 25% of X Premium subscription revenue — not advertising revenue — was allocated to creator payouts. With fewer than two million Premium subscribers paying approximately $8 per month, the total monthly pool for creators has been estimated at around $4–$ 5 million. By comparison, YouTube’s creator ecosystem is fueled by billions of daily video views and a far larger advertising engine.
MrBeast revisited the issue following Musk’s latest comments, offering a blunt assessment of the economics behind high-end creator production.
“My videos cost millions to make,” he wrote, “and even if they got a billion views on X it wouldn’t fund a fraction of it :/ I’m down though to test stuff once monetization is really cranking!”
X also continues to face advertiser pullback following Musk’s takeover, limiting its ability to scale ad-based creator incentives without expanding its paid subscriber base or sacrificing margins.
For emerging or mid-level creators, higher payouts on X could still represent meaningful supplemental income. For established creators earning six- or seven-figure sums on YouTube, however, X remains a secondary platform. The potential Premium+ requirement further narrows the field, excluding many casual creators and fans.
While Musk’s comments signal a shift in strategy, questions remain around execution. The fraud-prevention claims have yet to be independently verified, and no concrete payout increases or rollout dates have been announced.
