To no one’s surprise, X appears to be boosting MrBeast’s video in a bid to convince YouTube’s most popular content creator to upload videos directly on X.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, uploaded the video “$1 vs $100,000,000 Car” on X last week as a test. The video, which was posted to YouTube two months earlier with over 200 million views, was posted to “test” the platform, according to Donaldson. This was after he previously snubbed X owner Elon Musk’s request at least twice, short of saying that X didn’t pay enough to make it worthwhile.
READ: MrBeast Takes Elon Musk Up On His Offer, Posts First X Video ‘To Test’ Ad Revenue
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The video has now gotten over 150 million views as of this writing — with X users finding it on their feed as a sneaky unlabeled ad.
According to Mashable, X has been serving unlabeled ads since September, where the ads appear more organic because they have no indicators like “ad” or “promoted,” but they’re also missing the post time next to the user name. Clicking the ellipsis button on the right corner also brings you the typical options for ads, including “report ad.”
Wired also noted in October that this type of ad may be in violation of Section 5(a) of the US Federal Trade Commission Act, which states that ads must be clearly labeled so consumers are aware that they are ads. At least one entity, the AdTech watchdog Check My Ads, has filed a complaint against X with the FTC over the unlabeled ads.
In the case of Donaldson’s video, the intervention makes the whole point of him testing on the site moot. It’s not much of a baseline if Musk will run unlabeled ads to juice the numbers. Donaldson has also been upfront about his doubts from the beginning, previously telling Musk that “higher compensation will be hard” on X, given the platform’s current setup and performance.
“I’d be shocked if you cracked that code,” he added. Running unlabeled ads to boost views doesn’t look like Musk is cracking the code. Also note that on X, all impressions count as “views,” meaning you don’t need to actually spend time watching the video for it to count. To add, the revenue model is the opposite of straightforward — and they have also been accused of favoring certain users and meme accounts.
READ: Scam Or Confusing: Making Sense Of Elon Musk’s X (Twitter) Ad Revenue Payout
Donaldson this morning meanwhile revealed that his first video made over $250,000 in ad revenue, although he admits that the revenue figure is likely atypical, given the attention that the post brought, and that advertisers were specifically buying ad spots on the video.
Other users meanwhile are reporting that their own ad revenue is down, with some claiming revenue has been cut in half despite increases in engagement.
Information for this story was found via Mashable, Wired, and the sources and companies mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to the organizations discussed. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
