Key Takeaways
- Elon Musk admits X underpays creators and has payment allocation issues
- YouTube’s payment system praised as superior by Musk
- Creators report inconsistent earnings despite high engagement
- X’s revenue-sharing program launched in 2023 faces transparency concerns
Elon Musk has publicly acknowledged that X is underpaying content creators and needs to significantly improve its payment allocation system. The admission came after numerous creators raised concerns about inconsistent and low payouts under the platform’s monetization program.
Musk Responds to Creator Concerns
The discussion began when Nikita Bier, X’s product head, mentioned the team was working on upgrades for power users. Creator Peter Duan responded by highlighting ongoing monetization problems, stating he had been “consistently underpaid” compared to his peers.
“Please fix the monetisation. I have consistently compared my payouts with my peers and have been consistently underpaid,” Duan wrote.
Bier suggested that “creator payouts do more harm than good and we need to off-ramp to a different system.”
Musk directly countered this view, commenting: “No, the issue is that we are underpaying and not allocating payment accurately enough. YouTube does a much better job.”
Widespread Creator Frustration
Multiple content creators on X have reported similar payment issues in recent months. Many note that earnings from the platform’s ad revenue-sharing model fluctuate dramatically even when engagement metrics remain stable.
According to The Verge reports, some creators generating millions of monthly impressions receive payouts of only a few hundred dollars. Meanwhile, YouTube’s Partner Program, despite taking a 45% cut of ad revenue, provides more predictable and transparent payments to creators.
X’s Revenue-Sharing Program
X launched its ad revenue-sharing initiative in 2023 to incentivize creators to post more content on the platform. The program rewards users who subscribe to X Premium and meet specific engagement thresholds. However, many creators continue to report that the payment criteria and structure remain unclear and inconsistent.
