X Launches $1 Million Creator Rewards Program to Compete for Top Talent

X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has announced a dramatic expansion of its creator monetization program, effectively doubling payouts to eligible creators and introducing new revenue-sharing mechanisms designed to compete aggressively with YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

The announcement, made by CEO Linda Yaccarino, represents one of the most significant investments in creator compensation since Elon Musk acquired the platform. The move signals X's determination to transform from a primarily text-based social network into a comprehensive creator economy platform.

"We are committed to making X the most rewarding platform for creators," Yaccarino stated. "Today's announcement demonstrates that commitment with real money flowing to the people who make this platform valuable."

The New Revenue Model

Under the expanded program, creators will see substantially increased earnings across multiple revenue streams:

Ad Revenue Sharing has been restructured to favor creators. Previously, X shared advertising revenue only from ads appearing in reply threads. The new model includes revenue from ads appearing adjacent to creator content throughout the platform, similar to YouTube's monetization approach. This change alone is expected to triple revenue potential for top creators.

Subscription Revenue has been enhanced with improved creator subscription tools allowing multiple price tiers ranging from $2.99 to $49.99 monthly. Creators keep 70% of subscription revenue after platform processing fees, matching or exceeding competitor platforms. The subscription system now includes enhanced analytics showing subscriber retention, churn predictors, and content performance metrics.

Video Monetization receives special focus with X introducing pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll advertising options for video content over one minute. Video creators will receive 55% of ad revenue, matching YouTube's standard split. This represents a major push into long-form video content, directly challenging YouTube's dominance.

Amplification Bonuses reward creators who drive significant engagement and bring new users to the platform. Monthly bonuses ranging from $500 to $50,000 will be distributed based on content performance, follower growth, and platform contribution metrics.

Premium Content Tools allow verified creators to gate premium posts, threads, and videos behind paywalls. This creates new monetization opportunities for exclusive analysis, in-depth reporting, and specialized content that super-fans will pay to access.