Influencer MrBeast, also known as Jimmy Donaldson, revealed on Monday that he had made over $250,000 from a single video posted on X. This highlights the significant earning potential for major internet personalities through X’s new ad revenue sharing program.
MrBeast shared a screenshot of X’s creator payment screen, confirming that his post had earned him $263,655. X’s owner, Elon Musk, introduced the program in July to share a portion of the revenue from ads displayed in response to high-performing content with the creators who posted it. This initiative aimed to incentivize creators to produce high-quality content on X, attracting advertisers and boosting the platform’s core ad business. It also brought X in line with its competitors, such as Meta, YouTube, and TikTok, which already compensate creators for their contributions to generating traffic and ad revenue.
Initially, MrBeast had expressed reservations about regularly posting his content on X, stating that his videos’ production costs were too high to be covered by the platform’s revenue. However, he decided to test X’s ad revenue sharing program by posting one of his older videos featuring expensive cars. The video quickly garnered over 160 million views on X.
Following his payment from X, MrBeast announced his intention to give away the money he earned to ten random people who reposted his post and followed him on X. It remains unclear whether he plans to continue sharing videos on the platform.
While MrBeast’s substantial payout demonstrates the potential for creators to earn significant sums through X’s nascent program, he cautioned that other creators might not have the same experience. He acknowledged that his high revenue per view was likely due to advertisers recognizing the attention his video received and purchasing ads on it.
MrBeast’s large audience on X, with over 27.5 million followers, likely contributed to the strong engagement his post and the accompanying ads received. This follower count surpasses that of other well-known influencers like Logan Paul and Charli D’Amelio.
However, not everyone is satisfied with X’s new creator program. Former law enforcement officer-turned-conservative political commentator Dan Bongino, who was banned from YouTube for sharing Covid-19 misinformation, criticized the program after receiving a payment of only $379. He deemed the payout to MrBeast as “shady.”
Critics of X have also raised concerns that compensating X Premium subscribers, whose posts are already boosted by the platform’s algorithm, may incentivize them to share more inflammatory or offensive content to increase engagement.
Progressive media watchdog Media Matters reported in November that an X user who praised Adolf Hitler had received approximately $3,000 in payouts from X’s ad revenue-sharing program. This revelation led to X suing Media Matters over a report that exposed major brands’ advertisements running alongside pro-Nazi content. Media Matters has defended its work and vowed to fight the lawsuit.
In conclusion, MrBeast’s substantial earnings from a single video on X’s ad revenue-sharing program highlight the potential for major internet personalities to generate significant income through the platform. While the program aims to incentivize high-quality content creation, concerns have been raised regarding the payouts to creators and the potential for promoting controversial content. As X continues to evolve, it will need to strike a balance between rewarding creators and maintaining a responsible and inclusive online environment.