X vs YouTube: Musk Hints at Higher Creator Payouts With Stricter Fraud Rules

Elon Musk has once again sparked major conversation in the digital content world — this time by suggesting that creators on X may soon earn more than those on YouTube.

The billionaire entrepreneur indicated that increasing creator payouts is part of a strategy to keep authentic content on X, especially at a time when AI-generated material is flooding the internet.

Elon Musk has signalled plans to raise creator payouts on X beyond YouTube levels, asking product head Nikita Bier to enforce stricter anti-fraud rules.

X Signals Major Shift Toward Creator-Focused Monetisation

The latest discussions began after Musk publicly acknowledged concerns that platforms underpaying creators risk becoming irrelevant.

Elon Musk has signalled that X is preparing to raise payouts for content creators, potentially to levels above YouTube, as part of a broader push to retain original content on the platform.

Why Musk Believes Paying Creators More Matters

Users argued that creators will naturally migrate to platforms offering fair payouts — especially as AI systems increasingly repurpose online content.

One user wrote:

“the platforms that actually pay will be the only ones that will have any authoritative content left once the LLMs finish eating the rest of the internet’s homework.”

Musk responded decisively:

“OK, let’s do it, but rigorously enforce no gaming of the system.”

That response has now been widely interpreted as a green signal for upcoming policy changes.

What Musk Is Proposing — Higher Payouts With Stronger Enforcement

X already pays creators through ad-revenue sharing linked to engagement, impressions and Premium subscriptions.

The core idea is simple - pay creators more, but tighten controls.

Potentially Higher Than YouTube

X already offers creator payouts tied to engagement and advertising share. Musk’s comments suggest those payments could increase, possibly overtaking YouTube in some categories.

Why Stricter Verification Matters

With higher payouts comes greater risk. Musk highlighted concerns about:

• fake engagement

• bot networks

• coordinated manipulation

• artificial growth tactics

He made it clear that fraud prevention must evolve alongside monetisation.

Nikita Bier Steps In With Anti-Fraud Action Plan

X’s product head, Nikita Bier, publicly acknowledged Musk’s directive.

Nikita Bier publicly responded to Musk’s instruction with a brief confirmation: “On it. We have a new method that should wipe out 99% of fraud.”

Premium+ Requirement Likely

In a separate post, Bier added that X would “likely pair the payout boost with a Premium+ subscription requirement,” indicating that only verified or paying users may be eligible for higher earnings.

This signals a shift toward verified identity-based monetisation — reducing fake account participation.

Why Elon Musk Wants X to Compete With YouTube

The change comes at a time when platforms are competing over original, human-created content - particularly as AI-generated material becomes easier to produce and harder to distinguish.

Benefits for Creators

• More reliable earnings potential

• Incentives to post original content directly on X

• Reduced dependency on multiple platforms

Benefits for X

• Stronger creator loyalty

• Higher-quality discourse

• Less reliance on reposted content

• Competitive positioning against YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram

For creators, higher payouts could make X a more financially viable platform. For X, the goal appears to be keeping valuable content inside its ecosystem rather than letting it drift elsewhere.