The creator economy’s ad revenue problem and India’s AI ambitions

SelfRugger · 2026-02-21T02:37:31+00:00

The creator economy is shifting as individuals move beyond ad revenue, creating diverse business ventures. The discussion centers on scaling these models and highlights India's AI ambitions from a recent summit.

SelfRugger

2026-02-21 02:37:31

Abstract generation in progress

The creator economy’s ad revenue problem and India’s AI ambitions

Theresa Loconsolo

Sat, February 21, 2026 at 8:00 AM GMT+9 1 min read

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) takes a group photo with AI company leaders including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman © and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei ® at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19, 2026. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) | Image Credits:Ludovic MARIN/AFP / Getty Images

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The creator economy is evolving fast, and ad revenue alone isn’t cutting it anymore. YouTubers are launching product lines, acquiring startups, and building actual business empires. In fact, MrBeast’s company bought fintech startup Step, and his chocolate business is outearning his media arm. This isn’t just one creator’s strategy. For many, it’s the new playbook.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan unpack how creators are diversifying beyond ads, whether their model can scale beyond the top 1%, everything happing at India’s AI Impact Summit, and more of the week’s headlines.

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