- YouTuber MrBeast uploaded a video to Elon Musk’s X platform to test its revenue-sharing model.
- He’s curious to quantify potential earnings from X’s new ad incentives introduced last year.
- His 83M YouTube following offers influence to assess the financial opportunity for creators.
YouTube star MrBeast, aka Jimmy Donaldson, uploaded his premiere video directly to Elon Musk’s X platform this week to experiment with its ad revenue-sharing scheme.
Alongside the 16-minute reused clip, Donaldson explained his curiosity about quantifying possible earnings under the new monetization incentives Musk introduced last year.
Testing ad revenue
“I’m curious how much ad revenue a video on X would make, so I’m reuploading this to test it. Will share ad rev next week,” commented Donaldson, who enjoys an ongoing online rapport with Musk.
The X CEO previously suggested MrBeast post videos there but got rebuffed for insufficient financial potential at the time to support production budgets.
Only $5M of X creator payouts in 2023
Now, with the direct ad revenue model implemented, Donaldson dips in a toe to assess the opportunity firsthand. His massive 83 million YouTube following offers built a commanding influence for marketing tests.
Early X creator payouts exceeded $5 million total last year based on public reports, enriching some power users.
Hiring veterans to attract more “talent”
X also hired a YouTube veteran as its head of creator partnerships this January to attract talent like MrBeast further. Between the financial motivations and infrastructure building, X slowly chips away at critiques regarding its viability for professional creators.
Donaldson’s experiment of posting original hit content to X will provide key signals on whether the platform can financially compete for attention against rivals like YouTube.
His future content roadmap may shift depending on the initial results.
