Writing on X could soon come with a seven figure payout. Elon Musk owned social media platform X has announced a $1 million reward for the best performing long form article published on the platform during its next creator payout cycle, marking one of the largest incentives ever offered by a social media company to individual creators.
The announcement was made by X’s official Creators account on Saturday. Responding to the post, Elon Musk confirmed the initiative, stating, “$1M prize for the top X article.”
According to the official rules published on X’s legal platform, the contest will run from January 16 to January 28, 2026, and is open only to legal residents of the United States and Washington, DC, aged 18 years and above. Participants must be subscribers to Premium or Premium+ and publish an original article on X during the contest period.
To qualify, each article must be at least 1,000 words, written in English, and not published elsewhere. While multiple submissions are allowed, X has clarified that articles generated or substantially assisted by artificial intelligence tools may be disqualified unless explicitly permitted under the rules.
The platform has imposed strict content guidelines. Submissions must not include political or religious commentary, explicit or offensive material, advertising, references to non-X brands, or plagiarised content. Articles involving unsafe activities, illegal substances, hate speech or misinformation are also prohibited.
X said the competition is skill-based, not a game of chance. The winning article will be selected based on compliance with guidelines, writing quality, originality, and platform engagement, including verified home-timeline impressions. The company’s decision will be final.
The $1 million prize is non-transferable and will be paid through a third-party processor after identity and tax verification. Winners will be responsible for all applicable taxes. By entering, participants grant X perpetual rights to use and distribute their content globally without additional compensation.
The initiative underscores X’s push to attract high quality long form content and position itself as a serious publishing platform for creators.
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