Popular YouTube sensation Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson had a blunt retort for X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk last month. After Musk responded to a fan’s request for MrBeast to upload videos directly to the platform, the YouTube star gave a reality check about the high production costs of his viral content.

On Saturday, MrBeast posted “I uploaded, go watch or I’ll drop kick you” about a new YouTube video. When a follower asked him to “upload on this platform too,” Musk chimed in “Yeah.”

MrBeast shot back that his videos cost millions of dollars to create and even billions of views on X/Twitter “wouldn’t fund a fraction of it.” However, he added he was open to testing the platform for his content “once monetization is really cranking!”

MrBeast’s response highlights the vast production budget needed to fuel his imagination. His elaborate viral ideas require huge upfront costs and teams before earning back through advertisements. As he told Rolling Stone last year, MrBeast spends up to $1 million per video to “push the boundaries to go bigger.”

Meanwhile, X has struggled with its content monetization efforts. Though Musk claimed the platform paid $5 million to creators in its first few months, some power users have been underwhelmed. For example, top YouTuber KSI said he made only $1,590 in August through X’s payment program.

For now, MrBeast seems firmly entrenched on YouTube, where his several dozen channels boast over 225 million subscribers. Twitter’s still-developing money-making ecosystem can’t yet compete with YouTube’s established video ad network.

However, Musk appears intent on wooing MrBeast regardless given his enormous fanbase and influence. Just last year, Musk publicly defended the creator against criticism over an inspirational video. Perhaps with the right incentives down the road, X could become MrBeast’s new digital playground for his next viral hit.