It’s Friday and Pinterest is finally letting users “dial down” the amount of AI content in their feeds—at least, to an extent. And, honestly, after the number of AI casseroles we’ve seen, we’ll take it.

Today’s News

PUT A RING ON IT

Instagram’s first 25 Rings went out to all kinds of creators

The awards: Earlier this month, Instagram unveiled its own version of YouTube’s creator plaques—at least, sort of. Unlike YouTube’s spin on creator trophies, Instagram’s Rings aren’t awarded based on subscriber milestones. Instead, they’re doled out to 25 creators at a time, each of whom are chosen by a panel of career creatives and executives. Those judges individually shortlist their own selection of creators, and then the panel as a whole votes on the final winners.

This time around, recipients were chosen by judges like jewelry designer Grace Wales Bonner (who made the IRL golden ring each winner will receive), iconic filmmaker Spike Lee, fashion mogul Marc Jacobs, tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee, journalist Eva Chen, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri—and the selected creators weren’t exactly who we expected.

While YouTube’s plaques often go to rising or career digital video makers (aka people whose primary designation is YouTuber), Instagram’s first Rings winners include classic creators, but also individuals with names recognizable in niches outside digital content creation—think athletes, actors, singers, comedians, and traditional artists. The winners still have significant followings, but in many instances, Instagram isn’t their main gig.

The winners: Here’s a peek at a few of the Rings winners (and you can check out the full slate of 25 honorees on the Tubefilter website):

• FUTURA (397K followers): A graffiti artist, illustrator, designer, clothing designer with his own brand, Futura Laboratories.
  
  

• GABRIEL MOSES (250K followers): A South London photographer known for Baroque photography, who went to work for Nike at age eighteen.
  
  

• AKI AND KOICHI (1.2M followers): A retired Japanese couple living in SoCal and showing off their extensive collection of high fashion.
  
  

• MOHAMMED AND HUMAID HADBAN (1M followers): Fashion-loving twins from the UAE.
  
  

• GOLLORIA (1M followers): A beauty influencer focused on increasing inclusivity in cosmetics.

HEADLINES IN BRIEF 📰

• According to a press release, e.l.f Cosmetics is the first company “to run an all-new and native in-stream live-shopping element” on Twitch. (BusinessWire)
  
  

• Spotify is partnering with Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Merlin to develop “responsible AI products that empower the artists and songwriters they represent.” (Spotify)
  
  

• Meta plans to sunset the desktop version of its Messenger app by December 15, 2025. (Engadget)
  
  

• OpenAI says it has “paused” the ability to create depictions resembling Martin Luther King Jr. through Sora as it “strengthens guardrails for historical figures.” (OpenAI Newsroom via X)

CREATOR COMMOTION

MrBeast just filed a trademark for “MrBeast Financial”

The filing: If MrBeast‘s filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office are any indication, YouTube’s top creator is cooking up a financial services firm.

According to a recent trademark application for the phrase “MrBeast Financial,” Jimmy Donaldson’s proposed venture would consist of “downloadable software in the nature of a mobile application for banking services, short-term cash advances, providing cryptocurrency exchange services, providing investment banking services and investment management services, providing consumer lending services and insurance services, providing financial advisory and consultancy services, providing financial planning services, and providing financial wellness education services.”

That potential firm would expand the work MrBeast has already done within the financial sphere, including through a 2021 investment in Current (a fintech company he’s since incorporated into several of his videos).

The context: MrBeast Financial could also fit into Donaldson’s more recent efforts to develop in-house capabilities that align with his external partnerships. In the world of telecom, for example, after past collaborations with companies like Samsung and T-Mobile, MrBeast is reportedly working on his own mobile phone company.

A financial services firm could serve a similar purpose in another industry—and there’s evidence to suggest it would find a devoted customer base there. According to data from Precise TV, viewers between the ages of 13 and 17 are the most common demographic among MrBeast’s audience. That cohort accounts for 39% of his viewers, and many 13-to-17-year-olds are also ready to make money moves. According to a 2022 report, 49% of teens open their first bank accounts during that time, often when they land their first jobs.

And even if MrBeast Financial doesn’t pan out, Trademark Office data shows that Donaldson has other ideas he can fall back on. Among his recent filings are words and phrases like his new clipping company “Vyro” and “Beast Mode” (though Marshawn Lynch might have something to say about that one).

MONEY MOVES

Moist Cr1TiKaL’s $35M YouTube earnings explain why he shut off donations

The reveal: Earlier this month, Charlie White (aka the streamer known as Moist Cr1TiKaL) announced that he would turn off all donations on his Twitch account. His rationale was simple: he makes plenty of money as a top-end creator and believes fans’ money could be put to better use by improving their own lives or donating to charity.

That announcement unsurprisingly brought White’s financials into the public eye, with some fans questioning exactly how much was enough for the creator to turn away donations. So, in the interest of transparency, White shared the lifetime earnings he’s collected from his long-active penguinz0 YouTube hub. His total channel revenue since 2007: $35 million.

Almost 97% of that $35 million has come from “Watch Page ads,” while memberships, gifts, and Shorts ads provide him with smaller revenue streams. Notably, these figures don’t include the money White makes from sponsorships and other brand deals. (The stats are also just from YouTube; from 2021 to 2024, White reeled in another $4.1 million via Twitch as one of the Amazon-owned hub’s top earners.)

The context: The amount White makes from ads isn’t just staggering; it actually defies contemporary ideas regarding the creator economy. A report from Patreon found that creators are shifting more of their earnings to subscriptions and other means of direct fan support. But for White - and any other creators who are able to get 120 to 180 million long-form video views a month - a classic revenue stream is still reliable.

“Ads,” the YouTuber said, “are the bread basket to streamers.”

WATCH THIS 🎙️

Would Brennan Lee Mulligan make a good lawyer?

Courtroom comedy: If you’ve never mulled over possible motives for Kermit the Frog to commit murder or inserted legal philosophy into a DnD campaign…well, you’re probably not Brennan Lee Mulligan.

Alongside his many other comedic stylings, the Dropout producer and Dimension 20 Game Master has a knack for courtroom-style skits—and that talent recently led him to team up with YouTube-famous lawyer LegalEagle.

So, would Mulligan make a good lawyer? We can’t say the comedian’s collab with LegalEagle offers definitive proof of his law knowledge. But at the very least, we can testify to the video’s entertainment value.

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