Elon Musk affirms X has been underpaying creators

Social Media platform X (formerly Twitter) owner, Elon Musk, has admitted that the platform is underpaying its creators. This was indicated in a response to a post, amidst recent concerns over the platform’s monetisation policies.

For a while, some creators have experienced low earnings compared to other creators, and some have had inconsistent payments. Elon Musk’s response, which confirms issues with the payroll, now certifies the claims and opens room for interventions.

“No, the issue is that we are underpaying and not allocating payment accurately enough,” Elon Musk said, noting that “YouTube does a much better job.” In reply to a post, Nikita Bier indicated that the company was developing new upgrades for power users and for those who engage the platform daily.

The announcement prompted user Peter Duan to raise ongoing concerns about being underpaid several times compared to his peers and asked X to fix the monetisation issue. 

Bier’s response seems unsatisfactory ffor many. He hinted that the creator’s payout is already a mess on the platform. “At this point, I think creator payouts do more harm than good—and we need to off-ramp to a different system,” he said. 

Musk jumped in to present an alternative view from Bier’s response. This refuelled debates about its monetisation programme. Creators have often criticised the feature for its unpredictable and unrewarding manner, which has driven some creators to platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

Also Read: X rolls out ‘synced drafts’ feature that allows users to continue draft made via app on web.

A potential shift in X’s monetisation strategy 

A bone of contention is rewarding paux. creators who copy posts that go viral to earn. This accounts for the rise in the spread of misinformation and nudity across the platform. Most creators complained that the platform encourages a content farming at the expense of the original creator.

A user, @mitchellvii, who commented under Musk’s response, said: 

“I guess I’m confused because it seems like X is the one that is rewarding engagement farming and burying actual creator content. Just start letting our followers see our posts, and this whole problem will be solved. You’re over-managing the system.”

This already impacting users and creators’ habits.

A 2025 report noted that there has been growing dissatisfaction among creators. This has led many high-profile users to migrate to alternative platforms like Bluesky, Mastodon, TikTok, YouTube and Threads.

The reasons? Some users want. revenue stability. Some seek a social media platform that better reflects their values, and many are looking for improved engagement tools.

While Elon Musk confirmed that YouTube is doing better in its monetisation strategy, it might signal a turning point for creators on the platform. The potential shift towards a new policy might be pivotal in sustaining the platform’s credibility.

Since the platform launched its ad revenue-sharing program in 2023, the system has promised to reward Premium subscribers who generate high engagement with verified accounts. However, it has been the other case. 

Reports have noted that some users with millions of monthly impressions have received lower monetary returns. As such, they have argued that the company’s payout model has remained inconsistent, with revenue fluctuating even when view counts stay stable. 

While X’s monetisation policies reportedly lack transparency, YouTube’s Partner Program, which takes a 45% cut of ad revenue, is known for predictable payments. But, Musk has been making rounds to improve its offerings and usability.

Earlier in the week, the platform rolled out synced drafts between its mobile app and web. The long-awaited feature allows users to start composing a draft on the app and continue editing it on the web, and vice versa.