Will Elon Musk Open New Earning Avenues Like YouTube? X Signals Bigger Payouts for Creators

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has hinted at a bold move that could reshape the creator economy: paying creators on X more than YouTube does. If implemented, this strategy could attract high-quality and original content creators to Musk’s social media platform, intensifying competition with YouTube.

The discussion began when an X user suggested that the platform should offer higher payments than YouTube to fairly reward talented creators and encourage them to switch. Musk publicly responded to the post, signaling that the idea is under consideration. His response has sparked widespread debate among creators and industry observers.

X Aims to Become an “Everything App”

Musk has repeatedly stated that he does not see X as just another social media platform. His larger vision is to turn it into an “everything app”—a single platform where users can socialize, make payments, shop, and access multiple digital services.

Work is already underway to integrate financial tools directly into X, allowing users to conduct transactions, payments, and potentially even trading—all without leaving the app.

X Money: A Step Toward Financial Integration

As part of this vision, X is preparing to launch a peer-to-peer payment service called “X Money”. The service is being developed in partnership with Visa and is currently in the testing phase. Once rolled out, X Money will enable users to send and receive money directly, similar to popular digital payment apps like Google Pay or PhonePe.

This financial infrastructure could play a key role in enabling direct and higher payouts to creators in the future.

Will Crypto Be Included?

Although Elon Musk is a well-known supporter of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Dogecoin, crypto payments are not part of X’s financial services at this stage. However, experts believe that as X expands its financial ecosystem, digital currencies could eventually be integrated, further strengthening the platform’s appeal.

What It Means for Creators

If X does move ahead with higher creator payouts, it could become a powerful alternative to YouTube—not just as a social platform, but as a serious income source for creators. Industry experts caution, however, that higher payments may come with stricter rules, eligibility criteria, and content guidelines.

For now, Musk’s comments have raised expectations and opened the door to a potential shift in how creators monetize their content online. Whether X can truly rival YouTube in creator earnings remains to be seen—but the signals are clear: big changes may be on the way.