Elon Musk's social media platform, X, is making significant strides in its creator monetization strategy, highlighted by a substantial $1 million prize for the top long-form 'Article' in the upcoming payout period. This announcement, made around January 16, 2026, by the official XCreators account, signals X's intent to double down on written content and incentivize high-impact, original pieces. To be eligible for this generous prize, articles must be original, at least 1,000 words long, and will be primarily judged based on Verified Home Timeline impressions; however, it's important to note that this specific $1 million prize is currently restricted to users in the United States. Beyond the prize, X is continuously refining its monetization model for creators. While previous payouts were often tied to ads in replies, the platform has shifted its focus to rewarding engagement from Premium users since late 2024. Recent reports from early January 2026 suggest that X is actively working to significantly increase creator payouts, with some creators already reporting double or triple their previous earnings, thanks to new methods designed to rigorously enforce against system gaming and fraud. The platform has also expanded access to its 'Articles' feature, which allows for long-form content publishing, to all Premium subscribers, moving beyond its initial exclusivity for Premium+ users in March 2024. These comprehensive updates position 2026 as 'the year of the creator' on X, aiming to enable content creators to earn a living directly from their content on the platform.