From the tweet linked below [1], which sparked a lot of controversy about the definition of piracy (which I entirely disagree with Linus on), about 65% of their revenue comes directly from sponsors and 32% comes from merchandise.

[1] https://twitter.com/LinusTech/status/1486918784401088515

Just 35% comes from direct sponsors ie in-video sponsor and sponsored projects. Apart from these 2 none of the other categories would effect editorial independence.

> 65%

This just isn't what the tweet shows? Unless you are counting AdSense as sponsors? That doesn't seems to make sense.

You seem to be saying LTT is beholden to their sponsors? There is always an argument to be made there but misrepresenting: floatplane, AdSense and other sources that I don't see how you can call sponsors, which make up another 33% seems very disingenuous.

Unless I am misinformed about how AdSense works.

>Unless you are counting AdSense as sponsors.

Yes, I am going by Google's own definition of AdSense which describes them as "sponsored links". If revenue from sponsored links does not count as sponsorship revenue then to each their own.

>You seem to be saying LTT is beholden to their sponsors?

This is such a massive jump I have no idea if it's even worth responding to it. I have no idea how posting a link to a literal pie chart directly from a source can be construed as saying that said source is beholden to sponsors.

If there's anything disingenuous, it would be the idea that not mentioning floatplane which makes up a mere 4% of revenue is a form of misrepresentation. That said I will defer to Hanlon's razor on that one [1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

And really, they need that tech before the embargos lift because the first ones to get content out are the ones that get all the views. LMG might be making more from merch, but they need to keep those views up if they're going to keep selling it. I know Linus prides himself on the quality of the items he sells, but people aren't buying it for the quality alone. So if people stop caring about LTT, they'll stop caring about the merch.