It's Sunday and here’s a handpicked selection of stories to give you a snapshot of trends, updates, business moves, and more from around the creator industry.

But first, thousands of Nintendo Switch 2 consoles have been stolen in a truck heist. We’re guessing this probably isn’t what Nintendo meant when they talked about the Switch 2’s on-the-go portability.

CREATOR COMMOTION

Creators are raking in millions, hitting the toy aisle, and inspiring students

The toy team-up: Gaming creator Preston is inking a deal with Bonkers Toys that will result in the launch of his very own toy line in 2026. After turning Skibidi Toilet into a retail favorite, Bonkers Toys is looking to cash in on another channel that regularly ranks among the most-watched and most-subscribed YouTube hubs in the world.

The Kick payout: Amouranth claims to have made $38 million during her two-year run on Kick. The cosplaying streamer seemed to reveal her earnings via a pithy post on X. Now that her exclusive deal with Kick is up, she’s going to start streaming on Twitch again—but her earnings will keep coming in from all over the place.

The graduation speech: Casey Neistat added “high school commencement speaker” to his extensive resumé. The former high school dropout told graduating seniors at Nantucket High School that they should “seek knowledge” wherever they can. “Appreciate that no one knows anything,” he later added. “And it’s up you. No pressure. Good luck.”

POLITICS AS USUAL

This week in creator economy politics…

The medical opinion: Doctor Mike is not an RFK Jr. fan. The YouTube and TikTok-famous doctor believes the current head of Health and Human Services is “the wrong person” to lead the department. Despite his criticism of RFK Jr.’s Make American Healthy Again campaign, he said he would “without a doubt” be willing to have a sit down with Donald Trump’s health czar.

The TikTok talk: Senate Democrats are starting to complain about the president’s TikTok reprieves. After Trump ordered another 90-day delay for the U.S. TikTok ban, one of the architects of that ban is accusing him of “flaunting the law.” Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) is still pushing for enforcement of the Biden-era law, even though Trump has repeatedly claimed that a divestiture deal with ByteDance will get done.

The lawsuit: The complaints about TikTok ban delays aren’t just coming from inside the House (and the Senate). Tony Tan is suing Google parent company Alphabet as well as the U.S. Department of Justice. The argument: Tan says Google and Apple should have already been fined for failing to enforce the TikTok ban via their respective App Stores.

THE BIZ

Getting down to business: 9-digit payouts, exec hires, and Hollywood collabs

The new hires: Mark Rober’s Crunchlabs has named its new Chief Content Officer. Rober’s science kit brand has used sponsored videos to reach millions of viewers on platforms like YouTube. Scott Lewers, who previously worked with Rober on the Discovery series Revengineers, is now coming to Crunchlabs to take the reins of the brand’s content operation.

In other hiring news, Jubilee Media is bringing on an MCN vet. After taking roles at Maker Studios and Fullscreen, Nick Crooks is moving to Jubilee to expand existing franchises and steer the direction of content and distribution as the video producer’s Head of Strategy and Business Development.

The monetization milestone: Fanfix’s creator payouts just topped $170 million. By encouraging fans to deliver direct monetary support to their favorite creators, the platform is upending the influencer marketing industry with yet another round-number payout milestone.

The studio debut: Experienced YouTube operative Steven Beckman is teaming up with Hollywood producer Ben Stillman to launch Further Adventures. One of the studio’s first clients is Andrew Rea of Binging with Babish, who is developing “a metaphysical action-thriller about an ageless, body-shifting consciousness in search of love and meaning.”

WATCH THIS 📺

18 years later, the star of “What What (In the Butt)” is still killing it

The interview: It’s been nearly two decades since the release of “What What (In the Butt),” and the chaotic music video’s auteur is reminiscing on his career-defining viral smash. Samwell caught up with People in a recent interview that dove into his origins on YouTube, the copyright battle that followed his rise to stardom, and his current state as a flight attendant/artist who is “thriving not just surviving.”

Revisit Samwell’s iconic music video here for a saucy blast from the past.

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Today's newsletter is from: Emily Burton, Drew Baldwin, Sam Gutelle, and Josh Cohen.