The Fanvault blog
From the Vault.
Creator stories, platform updates, and actionable tips for fans and sellers
MrBeast banked $300 million. The top 50 just cleared a billion.
Forbes' 2026 Top Creators list just cleared $1.02 billion in collective earnings for the first time, with MrBeast banking $300M alone. The methodology now rewards owned IP over brand deals, and that reshapes who wins next.
MrBeast crossed half a billion subscribers. A YouTube first.
MrBeast hit 500 million YouTube subscribers on June 12, 2026, the first individual creator ever. Beast Industries is now a $5.2B holdco walking toward an IPO, and the line between 'creator' and 'media company' just dissolved in public.
Kai Cenat's Streamer University got shut down before it even started
State Farm Arena pulled the plug on Kai Cenat's Streamer University auditions 90 minutes after they opened, capping three days of arrests and shut venues. A free walk-up audition for 120 spots out-drew a 17,000-seat NBA arena, and that's the actual story.
How to Track Your Earnings in the Fanvault Payouts Dashboard
A creator's walkthrough of the Fanvault Payouts Dashboard: check your available balance, review pending earnings, and request a payout to your bank in a few clicks.
Kai Cenat's Streamer University drew a mob. Atlanta shut it down.
State Farm Arena shut down Kai Cenat's Streamer University auditions on June 17 after thousands of aspiring creators flooded downtown Atlanta. The creator economy just broke a stadium, and what comes next is up for grabs.
The Rise of Paid DMs: How Creators Are Monetizing 1-on-1 in 2026
Paid DMs are now the highest-yielding revenue stream in the creator economy, averaging $80 to $500 per creator-hour. Here is how the math, the platforms, and the structural ceiling stack up in 2026.
Druski Just Joined Emma Stone in 'The Catch'. The Studio Door Now Opens for Creator IP.
Druski just joined Universal's 'The Catch' opposite Emma Stone and Chris Pine, per Deadline. For the Forbes No. 9 creator of 2025, the casting is the cleanest signal yet that Hollywood now opens its door first for creators who already built their own audience.
The Creator's Scheduling and Automation Stack for 2026
The 2026 creator stack splits into four layers: scheduler, DM automation, AI writer, and glue tool. Here is what each costs, what to skip, and a starter setup under $70 a month.
How to Make Money as a Gaming Streamer in 2026
A 2026 income guide for gaming streamers: real income bands on Twitch, Kick, and YouTube, sponsorship rates by audience size, and the off-platform stack that closes the gap to full-time.
The Creator's Content Scheduling Stack for 2026
The 2026 scheduling stack split: free native schedulers now cover the basics, while Buffer, Later, Metricool, and Publer fight over the paid tier. Here's what to actually buy.
CAA and TPG just put $250M into buying creator businesses.
CAA and TPG just dropped $250M on Compound Creative Holdings, a buy-side vehicle for creator-led businesses. Tucker Brown runs it, and the price of independence just went up.
Kai Cenat's Streamer University 2026 just became the year's hardest college admit.
Kai Cenat reopened applications for Streamer University 2026 and broke the internet. 3M likes, an NFL champion ranting in a parking lot, and seven arrests in Atlanta later, the creator economy has a new credentialing institution.
CAA and TPG just bet $250M that creators are real companies.
CAA and TPG dropped $250M on Compound Creative Holdings, a roll-up vehicle that buys creator businesses outright. The asset class just went liquid at the top.
The Sidemen just made Prime Video play second window to YouTube
Sidemen Presents: SideMenu premiered on YouTube before Prime Video saw it. The streamer is the second window now, not the gatekeeper, and creators just inherited the leverage.
Kai Cenat's Streamer University ended in seven Atlanta arrests.
Seven arrests, a canceled venue, and a 1,000-person line outside State Farm Arena: Kai Cenat's Streamer University tour broke Atlanta and exposed how unready cities are for creator-scale fandom.
Nina Lin's Twitch finally went dark. It took four bans, an Amazon truck, and the Knicks winning a title.
Twitch permanently banned IRL streamer Nina Lin on June 17, four days after her arrest atop an Amazon delivery truck during the Knicks' championship celebration. Her 537K-follower business vanished overnight, and IRL creators just lost their loudest test case.
Kai Cenat reopened Streamer University. A million applied last time.
Kai Cenat opened Streamer University 2026 applications on June 8, eight months after going dark on Twitch. The 2025 program drew 1M+ applications, peaked at 719K concurrent viewers, and turned Atlanta auditions into a mounted-police situation.
Kai Cenat reopened Streamer University. A million people applied last year.
Kai Cenat broke an 8-month silence with a Streamer University 2026 trailer that crashed his application site and triggered police-managed in-person auditions. Year one pulled a million applications, and Netflix, Amazon, and Tubi all wanted in.
Abu Dhabi Just Dropped $50M Into the Creator Economy
Sovereign-adjacent Gulf money is now formally inside the creator stack. Ethmar International Holding and Guggenheim Brothers Media just launched a $50M to $75M fund aimed at creator tools, fan-engagement platforms, and digital IP.
The Rise of Paid DMs: Why Replying Is the Highest-Paid Hour of Creator Work in 2026
Paid DMs now earn creators $80 to $500 per reply hour, the highest rate in the creator economy. Here's the data behind the 2026 shift from subscriptions to chat.
MrBeast crossed half a billion. A YouTube first.
Jimmy Donaldson is the first individual creator to cross 500 million YouTube subscribers, and the gap to second place is bigger than the third-place channel. Here is what the milestone actually means for everyone else.
The 4-1-1 Content Rhythm: A Weekly Posting Framework for Creators in 2026
The 4-1-1 content rhythm caps weekly posting at six slots: four value, one personal, one promo. Here is how 2026 algorithm and trust data make it the highest-leverage rhythm for solo creators.
How to Track Your Earnings and Cash Out with the Creator Payouts Hub on Fanvault
A walkthrough of the Fanvault Creator Payouts Hub: how to see your available balance, review every sale and tip, and move money to your bank in a few clicks.
The Creator Media Kit That Lands Brand Deals in 2026
The 5-section media kit framework brands actually screen for in 2026: positioning, platform metrics, audience demographics, case studies, and CPM-priced rates.