Popular YouTuber and high-profile social media personality MrBeast recently said that he will not upload any of his videos on the Elon Musk-owned microblogging platform X. The billionaire had asked MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, to do so. The content creator responded bluntly, explaining that his videos “cost millions to make.”
MrBeast is known for his highly-produced action-packed YouTube videos that have attracted millions of viewers and earned him hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising revenue. He is also known for his charity work and has given away tens of thousands of dollars worth of products to people who comment on his videos or subscribe to his channel.
Last year, he raised over $500,000 just two days after giving away free Tesla Model 3 cars to people commenting on his videos. He is currently worth an estimated $54 million, according to Forbes.
However, despite having over 224 million subscribers on YouTube, MrBeast stated that he would not be uploading any of his videos to X because it would not fund even a fraction of the cost to produce them.
He made this statement because he believes that X needs to be monetizing better and that it will take longer to do so. Moreover, he believes it has not done enough to prevent its platform from becoming a haven for those who spread vaccine misinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regarding video production, many factors can influence the total cost, including concept and creative development, camera rentals, post-production editing, and travel expenses. The total runtime of the video is another critical factor, as some videos require more resources than others.
For example, a 2-minute and 4-minute video requires different amounts of resources in the form of camera rentals and post-production editing compared to a 60-second and 3-minute video. Concept and creative development will also need to be considered for longer videos, as the freelancer will have to spend more time discussing ideas and goals with you.
It is not the first time that X has been in the news for controversies regarding its monetization. Last year, the company began its ad revenue-sharing program, but many users wanted more payouts. In addition, KSI, a popular YouTuber with over 24 million followers, said that he only makes $1,590 per month on X, which is significantly less than what he earns on his YouTube channel.