Hugely popular YouTuber MrBeast rejected Elon Musk's suggestion to upload his videos to X with a brutal criticism of the troubled social media platform's monetization policies.
After MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, announced the release of his latest video on YouTube
“I uploaded something, check it out or I’ll kick you,” Donaldson wrote on Dec. 30. “Upload it to this platform too,” added a user named DogeDesigner. “Yes,” said Musk.
Donaldson then explained why he would not follow this plan. “My videos cost millions to produce, and even if they get a billion views
Although he added, “I'm willing to test things out once monetization really takes off though!”
The 25-year-old from Witchita, Kansas, has 188 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 50 billion views since he began posting in 2012.
Musk was seen arriving in St. Barths on New Year's Eve with his three-year-old son X Æ A-Xii, whom he shares with Grimes
Musk responded to MrBeast's latest upload: “I spent 7 days in solitary confinement” as he suggested the YouTuber switch to X
Donaldson then explained why he would not follow this plan. “My videos cost millions to produce, and even if they get a billion views
His latest video, “I Spent 7 Days In Solitary Confinement,” has been viewed 54 million times at the time of writing. Donaldson's channel has a total of 224 million subscribers.
In June 2023, Musk made the same suggestion. He replied to one of Donaldson's tweets saying, “Post on his platform too.” The profit per view should be competitive with YouTube. If not, we will adapt.”
Since acquiring X in 2022, Musk has made several attempts to have YouTubers use his platform for original content.
Posts on X generate income only for those with verified accounts via the premium subscription option. Users generate money through engagement and advertising.
There is also an option similar to Twitch that allows people to pay to subscribe to exclusive content from their favorite creators.
Many X users mocked Donaldson's rejection of Musk's approaches.
“He told Elon, 'You can't afford it, little brother,'” one user wrote. “X is no place for videos.” “Elon can scream all he can,” wrote another. While another said: “Exactly.” X doesn't pay well. Do not do it.'
It is estimated that Donaldson earns between $2 million and $4 million per month from YouTube.
Since acquiring X in 2022, Musk has made several attempts to have YouTubers use his platform for original content
Donaldson is one of the most popular YouTube personalities in the world.
The 25-year-old from Wichita, Kansas, has 188 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 50 billion views since he began posting in 2012.
In 2018, he donated $100,000 worth of products to a homeless shelter and has since repeated the doses to an Uber driver, a waitress and people in parking lots.
In one video, he dropped $20,000 from a drone and tipped a pizza delivery guy at the house he was delivering to.
A 14-time winner of the Internet's Streamy Awards, he has specialized in smartphone apps, video game tournaments, restaurants and his own line of food products, earning an estimated $500 million.
Earlier this year he claimed he was one of those invited on the doomed Titan diving trip.
“I was invited to go on the Titanic submarine earlier this month, I said no,” he wrote on X. “Kinda scary that I might have been there.”
Since its takeover by divisive public figures – it has turned off users and advertisers who have fled for fear of hate speech in their ads.
In December, Musk reinstated conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' account, pointing to a poll on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that favored the Infowars host who blamed the Sandy Hook school shooting repeatedly described it as a joke in 2012.
Musk released a poll asking whether Jones should be reinstated. The results showed that 70% of respondents were in favor. Musk responded to the results by saying, “The people have spoken and so it shall be.”