• The creator economy has blossomed into a $250 billion industry but faces fresh challenges.
• One big question on the horizon: Will TikTok be banned?
• Meanwhile, some smaller creators fear being pushed out — and some VC interest has cooled.

The creator economy is hitting an inflection point heading into 2025: TikTok is in the throes of a potential extinction event. MrBeast is testing the limits of influencer megastardom. And there's an ongoing changing of the guard at YouTube — the platform that arguably started it all.

Birthed in the mid-2000s, the creator economy has grown into a $250 billion industry and could be worth as much as half a trillion dollars by 2027, Goldman Sachs estimates.

At the same time, growth has been constrained: Increased competition and platform algorithmic changes are making it harder for some smaller creators to thrive.

And while venture capital is still flowing — particularly in buzzy areas like artificial intelligence, social shopping, and influencer marketing — the investor hype cycle has also slowed.

Here are some of the biggest high points and low points the creator economy faced this year — and some challenges ahead in 2025:

TikTok faces an extinction event

A potential TikTok ban is one of the biggest threats looming over the creator economy. The app reliably churns out stars, resides at the heart of internet culture, and serves as an engine for countless e-commerce startups.

TikTok Shop helped social shopping finally break through in the US in 2024 — driving $100 million in sales on Black Friday alone and becoming more popular among US online shoppers than Shein and Sephora, according to a report by Coefficient Capital and The New Consumer.

TikTok may be saved by the Supreme Court or a more amenable Trump administration. But if a ban is enacted, up-and-coming creators are likely to be hit hardest.

Some are sounding the alarm, while others have told Business Insider they're hopeful they can transition audiences to YouTube and Instagram — which staged something of a comeback in 2024, winning over more teens — or even LinkedIn.

TikTok has remained somewhat unfazed in the face of the legal battle — though CEO Shou Chew has reportedly made direct and indirect overtures to president-elect Donald Trump as the case heads to the Supreme Court.

New highs — and challenges — for MrBeast

Perhaps no modern-day creator has achieved heights like Jimmy "MrBeast" Donaldson, whose ambitious but challenging 2024 could serve as a blueprint — or cautionary tale — for fellow creators.

That said, YouTube's most-subscribed star has a way of staying on top. Beloved for his generosity and what some see as his authenticity, Donaldson not only reaches untold masses but resonates with a coveted young male demographic.

In July, allegations emerged that Donaldson's childhood friend and longtime video collaborator, Ava Tyson, had inappropriately messaged a minor. (Tyson wrote on X in July that any accusations of grooming were false, adding: "I would like to apologize for any of my past behavior or comments if it hurt or offended anyone.") Tyson and Donaldson parted ways.

A third-party investigation ultimately concluded that any allegations of sexual contact between company employees and minors were "without basis." It said there had been isolated incidents of "workplace harassment" and that the company had taken swift action to deal with those.

Meanwhile, Donaldson also garnered headlines this year for "Beast Games," a streaming game show that premiered in December on Amazon Prime.

The show, which he said cost more than $100 million, amplified his already massive production scope and diversified his reach beyond his home turf.

The show has attracted some controversy, with some contestants complaining about filming conditions and injuries they say they sustained. Donaldson has previously said he couldn't comment on certain allegations, but also described some of the claims as "disinformation." Amazon hasn't commented.

A changing of the guard at YouTube

YouTube's outright dominance — with a reported $400 billion valuation — sometimes has a tendency to fly under the radar. But the world's largest video platform further cemented its status this year as the go-to revenue-sharer for creators.

Alphabet-owned YouTube has also emerged as an irrefutable powerhouse on TV screens — an all-important venue for advertisers — and in the influential podcast space. YouTube has long led Netflix in big screen watch time, and it's also the most popular way for people to consume podcasts, per Edison Research.

Tragically, 2024 marked the death of creator economy architect Susan Wojcicki, the former YouTube CEO who shepherded key ventures like YouTube Premium and YouTube TV into the world. (Wojcicki had stepped down in early 2023.)

Despite countless wins, a long-running trend also continued of veteran creators retiring from their channels or floating the idea of quitting, with many citing age, burnout, and increased pressure amid platform changes.

Two formative creators officially left the platform in 2024: "Game Theorists" host Matthew Patrick and education creator Tom Scott.

And creators who rose to fame on YouTube also brought their bold-faced projects elsewhere this year — Donaldson's aforementioned Amazon show, Jake Paul's fight with Mike Tyson on Netflix, and a reality series by YouTube collective The Sidemen, which also transitioned to Netflix.

• TikTok CEO Shou Chew met Trump at Mar-a-Lago Monday.
• TikTok is trying to avoid an impending ban on the app.
• Trump has said he is opposed to the TikTok ban and that he has a "warm spot" for the app.

TikTok CEO Shou Chew met with President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Monday, a person familiar with the meeting told Business Insider. The meeting comes as the popular video-sharing app fights to avoid an impending ban in the US.

Earlier on Monday, TikTok asked the US Supreme Court to block the law that requires the app to be sold by January 19 or be shut down. TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, argued the ban violates the First Amendment rights of the millions of Americans who use the app. The request came after a panel of federal judges earlier this month upheld the ban.

Representatives for TikTok did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Details of the meeting were unclear. Trump has spoken out against the TikTok ban, which was passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden earlier this year.

"We'll take a look at TikTok," Trump said at a press conference earlier on Monday. "You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok."

Trump also said at the press conference that company executives have been more open to meeting with him ahead of his second term and that during his first term they were "hostile."

"Everybody was fighting me," he said. "This term, everybody wants to be my friend. I don't know. My personality changed or something."

Trump positioned himself as the TikTok-friendly candidate in the election

The meeting between Shou and Trump is the latest in TikTok's legal fight to remain available in the US.

The ban stems from lawmakers criticizing TikTok's data-collection practices and being concerned that the Chinese government is using the app to influence American politics.

In his first term, Trump tried to get the app banned in the US. But he has since flipped-flopped on his stance.

During this presidential run, Trump positioned himself as the TikTok-friendly candidate.

In June, he launched a TikTok account to rally younger voters. It now has 14.7 million followers.

Some of his closest advisors — some of whom he has tapped for cabinet roles — support the app's banning.

His pick for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, called the potential ban a "win for America" in March. Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr is also a vocal critic of the app, having called it an "unacceptable threat to U.S. national security."

Other cabinet picks, such as tech executive Jacob Helberg, the former US director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe, Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, and Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, are all outspoken critics of the app.

• With his presidency approaching, tech leaders are seeking Donald Trump's good graces.
• Mark Zuckerberg dined with him at Mar-a-Lago. TikTok's Shou Chew is reportedly chatting with Elon Musk.
• From AI regulation to antitrust suits, there is a lot at stake.

From threatening to jail Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg to accusing Google of rigging search results against him, President-elect Donald Trump tangled with Big Tech throughout his 2024 presidential campaign.

But with victory clenched — and tech luminary Elon Musk emerging as a key confidant — leaders throughout the industry have sought meetings and phone calls with the president-elect and those in his orbit in recent weeks.

There's a lot at stake. Trump's presidency could affect everything from budding AI regulation to a bevy of antitrust actions that target Apple, Google, Meta, and Amazon.

"President Trump is surrounding himself with industry leaders like Elon Musk as he works to restore innovation, reduce regulation, and celebrate free speech in his second term," Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Brian Hughes told Business Insider in a statement.

With his second term approaching, these are some of the big-name tech executives who've been seeking the president-elect's ear.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Despite their thorny past, Zuckerberg — who didn't endorse a candidate in the 2024 election — met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago for dinner on the evening before Thanksgiving, a Meta spokesperson previously confirmed to BI.

"It's an important time for the future of American Innovation," the spokesperson said.

Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said Tuesday that Zuckerberg wants to play "an active role" in future discussions with the Trump administration about US tech leadership, including in the "pivotal" field of artificial intelligence.

Clegg also said that Meta "overdid it" when moderating pandemic-related content in the past, for which the social network garnered heat on both sides of the political aisle.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai

In addition to his public congratulations, Google chief Sundar Pichai called the president-elect to congratulate him on his victory — with Musk joining the call, The Information reported.

Trump had previously accused Google of manipulating search results against him and said he'd called Pichai to complain. Google has denied the claims.

When asked about Google's antitrust challenges earlier this year, Trump acknowledged the search giant "has a lot of power," but didn't say he favored a breakup.

"We want to have great companies," Trump said at the time. "We don't want China to have these companies."

TikTok CEO Shou Chew

With a potential TikTok ban looming, CEO Shou Chew has sought counsel from Musk, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Chew has known Musk for years and inquired broadly about the next administration's tech policies, the Journal reported.

Although he did not directly broach how to contend with a prospective TikTok ban, the Jounal reported that ByteDance execs are cautiously optimistic about TikTok's future in the US.

During his first term, Trump tried to ban TikTok, but has since about-faced, saying he would try to save the app once assuming office — though such a pledge could be difficult to fulfill.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

OpenAI chief Sam Altman could be in a precarious position with Trump given his increasingly turbulent relationship with Musk.

Altman has also sought indirect counsel from certain members of Trump's inner circle, according to The Wall Street Journal, including Jared and Josh Kushner. The latter's Thrive Capital is a key OpenAI investor.

That said, the Journal reported that some intermediaries have been reluctant to pass on Altman's messages, given his tense relationship with Musk.

In addition to publicly congratulating the president-elect on X, Altman met with transition team co-chair Howard Lutnick in Palm Beach, according to the Journal, where he discussed how OpenAI would invest in US data centers and jobs. As Commerce Secretary, Lutnick would oversee the department charged with AI regulation.