Musk hints at higher creator pay on X than YouTube
31 Dec 2025

Elon Musk has hinted that X (formerly Twitter) is considering increasing creator payouts, possibly even surpassing YouTube.

The move comes as part of a larger strategy to retain original content on the platform.

The decision follows user feedback that platforms failing to fairly compensate creators will eventually become irrelevant.

Musk agrees with user feedback on creator compensation
Platform strategy

Musk agreed with the user feedback, noting that platforms compensating creators are more likely to retain 'authoritative content.'

This is especially important as large language models (LLMs) increasingly scrape and reproduce online content.

Responding to a user's post advocating for higher payouts, Musk said, "OK, let's do it but rigorously enforce no gaming of the system."

The response is being interpreted as a signal for changes in X's monetization model.

X's current and future monetization strategies
Monetization model

Currently, X offers creator payouts based on engagement and ad share.

Musk's comments indicate these payments could be increased, potentially surpassing YouTube in some categories.

However, he has also stressed the need for enforcement to prevent abuse such as artificial engagement, bot-driven amplification, and coordinated manipulation.

X's product head responds to Musk's instruction
Implementation plan

Nikita Bier, X's product head, publicly acknowledged Musk's instruction with a simple confirmation: "On it. We have a new method that should wipe out 99% of fraud."

In another post, Bier hinted that the payout increase could be coupled with a Premium+ subscription requirement. This suggests only verified or paying users may qualify for higher earnings on the platform.

X's strategy amid rising AI-generated content
Content competition

The proposed changes come as platforms compete for original, human-created content, especially with the rise of easily generated and hard-to-distinguish AI-generated material.

For creators, higher payouts could make X a more financially viable platform.

For Musk's company, the aim seems to be keeping valuable content within its ecosystem instead of letting it migrate elsewhere.