February 02, 2025 | Read Online

TOGETHER WITH

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, who knew a lion cub wouldn't make for a great wedding gift? Rajab Butt—one of Pakistan's top creators—didn't discover that fact until after celebrating his nuptials, when police arrived to confiscate the cub from his home.

THE BIZ

Creators are resurrecting skinny jeans, releasing new scents, and seeking out tax help

The entrepreneurs: Alix Earle has the skinny on the next big fashion trend. The TikTok it girl is taking a stance on the "skinny jeans vs. mom jeans" debate by launching a "comeback" line of skinnies with retailer Frame. Moral of the story: wear whatever you want—because if it's not in style now, it probably will be in a couple years.

Earle isn't the only creator carving out a space for herself in the beauty-and-fashion biz. Enterprising YouTuber Moriah Elizabeth has added a body mist brand called ME Scents to her eponymous product line, meaning you can now dress and smell like your favorite creators.

The company line: More and more creators are expanding their business dealings—and facing the complicated reality of filing taxes as self-employed entrepreneurs. Luckily, Turbo Tax is stepping in to offer filing tips for creators. If you're getting ready to declare the income you made from your content, check out this guide first.

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So, how can you increase views with Spotter Studio? Here's the scoop from 2 creators:

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TECH TALK

This week in AI news…

The up-and-comer: The Chinese generative AI model that sent stocks into a tailspin is facing the same regulatory scrutiny applied to other companies from its home country. Italy has already taken action to ban DeepSeek—and it probably won't be the last nation to seek action against the chatbot.

The industry leader: Countries and companies across the world may be scrambling to deal with the launch of DeepSeek, but OpenAI seems to be doing just fine. As it looks to back the ChatGPT maker, investment firm SoftBank is reportedly exploring the possibility of valuing OpenAI at a whopping $300 billion.

The video platform: Meanwhile, YouTube has continued to roll out its own smaller-scale AI tools—and not everyone is excited about the new features. Over at Aftermath, reporter Nathan Grayson wrote about the "boring" video prompts he received from YouTube's AI-powered Inspiration tab.

CREATOR COMMOTION

From NFT lawsuits to $15 million ranches, these creators are making headlines

The controversies: YouTube has restored Dr DisRespect's account. The creator known IRL as Guy Beahm was initially banned after sending inappropriate messages to a minor on Twitch—an action that left him barred from most major social platforms. Being able to collect revenue from YouTube may be the sole bright spot right now of Beahm's business. The game studio he co-founded, Midnight Society, has officially shut down.

Beahm isn't the only creator facing consequences over alleged misbehavior. A new lawsuit from buyers has accused Nelk of operating as "snake oil salesmen" by hawking blockchain products that possessed no real value. If that suit goes to court, there could be a lot of money on the line for the creators, who grossed $23 million from their initial NFT drop in 2022.

The success stories: Other creators have managed to secure more positive PR in 2025. According to his new GQ cover story, Fanum—aka the creator who inspired the slang term "Fanum tax"—is now building an empire that extends to "much more than video games." Not to be outdone, fellow AMP member Kai Cenat recently showed up on the front cover of Billboard.

Meanwhile, the YouTuber behind Demolition Ranch is riding off into the sunset. After 14 years, firearms enthusiast Matt Carriker has uploaded more than 700 videos and attracted nearly 12 million subscribers. Now, he's ready to pack up and sell the deed to his ranch for a cool $15 million.

WATCH THIS 🥵

This creator aspires to be an animal. So, he opened a zoo for humans to be animals, too.

The wild idea: Toco turned heads in 2023 by donning a hyperrealistic dog costume. Now, the controversial YouTuber is bringing that concept to life with the launch of a zoo that will allow visitors to dress up as animals. That venue—which is located just outside Tokyo—opened up last week to guests willing to shell out a little over $300 for 180 minutes in an Alaskan Malamute suit.

Something tells us there's gonna be some weird stuff going on in and outside those enclosures.

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