The tragedy of a tiktoker: Owning more than 100,000 followers, working 365 days but not earning a dime

As soon as Celeste Polanco got 100,000 followers on TikTok, this girl started thinking about making money, The New York Times.

“ I knew I could win a brand contract. It’s just about the business side, I don’t know much ,” Polanco said, adding that he was extremely curious when a representative of Carter Agency – a talent management agency for TikTok creators, contacted him. with me in 2021.

“ I spoke with Ben Popkin, the company representative, about the limits and value of being an influencer ,” Polanco said.

Shortly after, the two sides officially signed the contract.

Polanco is just one of many people who use TikTok, then get lucky thanks to a mysterious algorithm. The road to fame from fortune is happening faster than ever as more and more people are looking for ways to make money by promoting brands and products. Many companies, such as the Carter Agency, are willing to help with the negotiation process.

However, more than a year since signing the contract, Polanco still has not received any remuneration. According to documents provided to The New York Times, the Carter Agency negotiated deals worth at least $10,000 on behalf of the girl, but never gave Polanco a share.

Reportedly, Polanco is just one of about 20 content creators with similar circumstances. They even have their money kept and don’t know the transparent commission distribution ratio.

According to The New York Times, Carter Agency was founded by Josh Popkin, his brother Ben Popkin and several others with the aim of representing dozens of TikTokers. Josh Popkin himself is also a TikTok creator when he owns an account with more than 3 million followers. Public attention began when this man posted a video of pouring cereal mixed with milk on the floor of a subway in New York City. After being mocked by the Metropolitan Transport Authority as a “despicable trick”, Popkin apologized and deleted the TikTok account that posted the original video.

According to The New York Times, agencies often send content creators a work report after reaching an agreement with the brand. These include project lead time, payment rates, and the type of video the creator is required to make. Carter Agency then made money by taking a percentage commission, usually 20-30%.

However, many creators say they are paid very little, or even nothing. The Times attempted to contact the Carter Agency via email, text message and phone number, but received no response.

Niké Ojekunle was one of the first creators to speak out about Carter Agency on both TikTok and the “Women in Influencer Marketing” podcast in November 2022.

She accused the agency of falsely claiming to be the contracted representative of Ojekunle while she herself had never signed a contract with any management during her 10 years of operation.

After Ojekunle’s “unmasking” video gained attention, rep Ben Popkin sent an email to Carter Agency clients. In it, he asserted that the above statements were not accurate, and that Ojekunle was removed from the company because of “lack of professionalism”.

The incident then prompted many TikTokers to be more careful with agency agencies to review contracts. Many content creators also reach out to brands they’ve worked with to find out if they’re being properly compensated by the company.

“It’s good to have a team that understands what’s really going on,” says Yasmine Sahid, a 26-year-old creator in Los Angeles.

Timisola Ogunleye, a 27-year-old creator who signed with the Carter Agency in 2021, said the company has already won her numerous deals with Clean & Clear, Neutrogena and several other brands. She accepts a 30% commission divided by the company, but still feels that this rate is high.

Riri Bichri, another well-known creator, joined the company in 2022. Thought ” had signed a decent contract and could work with honest people “, but the end was not ‘ pink’.

Arielle Fodor (30), a preschool teacher turned TikTok star, even uses a spreadsheet to track her income, but so far has not been paid by the Carter Agency representative. According to The New York Times, this girl should have received $28,000.

Before that, Brittany Tomlinson’s story also angered content creators. Emerging from the clips of eating and drinking tea, this girl has received an invitation to cooperate from Ariadna Jacob – the founder and manager of Girls in the Valley.

Brittany then had to work day and night with almost no time off. She felt herself being squeezed out of her labor and creativity.

However, the remuneration Brittany receives is inversely proportional to the effort. In April 2019, she officially sued the management company for a debt of more than 23,000 USD.

Thomas Petrou, a star of the Hype House, previously admitted to the New York Times about labor exploitation at TikToker training camps.

“ The whole house is designed for productivity. If you don’t try and get left behind, you’ll be eliminated ,” said Petrou.

By: The New York Times