Popular YouTuber Jimmy Donaldson, known as MrBeast, caused a stir on X (formerly Twitter) after claiming he made over $260,000 in revenue from sharing one of his videos on the platform.
However, he referred to the figure as “a bit of a facade,” shedding light on the dynamics of monetization on the social media platform.
Elon Musk’s Invite and a High-Stakes Car Comparison
Donaldson shared the news after X owner Elon Musk invited him to the platform. He had posted a video originally shared on YouTube, comparing a $1 car to a $100 million car.
The X post garnered over 156 million views in a week, raising questions about the frequency of its appearance and potential undisclosed promotion methods.
While Donaldson hinted at advertisers buying ads on his video, the specifics remained unclear. Some X users reported seeing the post marked as “promoted,” fueling speculation about its status as an ad. An NBC News review found that users had the option to mark it as “Not interested in this ad,” a feature typically absent on non-advertisement posts.
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MrBeast’s Generosity: Giving Back X Earnings Sparks Debate on Platform Metrics
Donaldson’s revelation of his X revenue sparked reactions from other X users who monetize their posts. Complaints emerged about significantly lower revenue for a similar number of views, with some reporting no earnings at all during the period.
The disparities led to discussions about the distribution of ad revenue on the platform.
In response to the controversy, MrBeast announced his intention to give away his X earnings from the video to 10 of his X followers.
The experiment and subsequent claims surrounding Donaldson’s posts add to the ongoing scrutiny of X’s metrics, with users questioning the utility and accuracy of the view counts displayed by the platform.
Unlike YouTube metrics, X’s metrics show total views, including instances where users didn’t engage with or click on the post.
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