X Launches $1 Million Prize for Top Long-Form Articles

X is launching an aggressive push into long-form content with a dramatic financial incentive. The platform announced a $1 million payout for the author of the most popular long-form article posted during January 2026, with the competition ending on January 30th. The winning article will be determined primarily by verified impressions on the X Premium timeline.

Eligibility Requirements and Odds

To qualify, articles must be original, at least 1,000 words long, and written by US-based X Premium subscribers. Since X Premium has fewer than 300,000 subscribers, the eligible pool is significantly smaller than traditional competitions. The requirement to appeal to paying users creates an interesting dynamic—articles performing best historically have focused on government transparency, economic analysis, Tesla innovations, and satirical commentary on current events.

X’s Strategic Content Acquisition

The prize reflects X’s broader strategy to expand its xAI projects through quality long-form content. While the platform possesses abundant short-form posts, it needs deeper, more analytical reporting to improve its artificial intelligence training data. X hopes this incentive will attract journalists and content creators, though the platform’s hostile relationship with mainstream media may complicate recruitment efforts. The competition represents a temporary solution rather than a permanent initiative, suggesting X may eventually pursue traditional publisher partnerships to sustain its content pipeline and maintain competitive AI development.