In mid-July, Elon Musk rolled out what, at the time, was the tech billionaire's most impactful Twitter update: ad-revenue sharing for creators. The first chunk of revenue sharing that went out totaled $5 million and saw some users taking home close to $40,000.
This update served as a strong hook to keep creators on Twitter in the wake of Threads' historic launch. And since he made this impactful little tweak, Musk has been pushing the importance of supporting creators on the platform.
DON'T MISS: Twitter to X: The Complete Timeline of Elon Musk's Twitter Purchase
"People from every corner of the world post incredible content on X, but often live in tough circumstances, where even a few hundred dollars a month changes their life," he wrote in a post urging users to not only follow creators, but to subscribe to them. "If you can afford it, please subscribe to as many creators on this platform as you find interesting."
Musk is currently subscribed to 116 accounts.
Earlier, Musk had said that X would keep nothing for the first year, then 10%. In this post, however, he updated that policy, saying that now, "X keeps nothing forever, until payout exceeds $100,000, then 10%. First 12 months is still free for all."
He noted, however, that Apple (AAPL) -) takes a 30% cut of revenue, but called on the company's CEO, Tim Cook, to see if they can work out an arrangement that's more beneficial to creators.
More Elon Musk:
- Elon Musk Reveals Where His Share of Twitter Ad Revenue Is Going
- Elon Musk Shares His Unusual Vision For a Safer Form of AI
- Twitter Employee Explains Why Threads App Poses a Real Threat to Elon Musk
"I will speak with Tim Cook and see if that can be adjusted to be just 30% of what X keeps in order to maximize what creators receive," he said.
This is not the first time Musk has taken issue with Apple. He called out the company's 30% App Store tax in 2022, and, not long after acquiring Twitter, had a bit of a public spat with Cook over a misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store.
Epic Games, the studio behind Fortnite, engaged in a lengthy legal battle with Apple over this same issue about a year ago. The case is over, but the 30% tax is still here.
Musk's recent push toward paying subscribers comes as X is dealing with a 50% drop in ad revenue.
