Vitus “V” Spehar does not rely on TikTok payouts alone. In an April 2026 interview, the creator of Under the Desk News described a business funded by paid Substack subscriptions, YouTube advertising, TikTok monetization, brand partnerships, consulting, speaking and in-person events. Spehar called Substack the most consistent and predictable source; the interview did not disclose total earnings or a breakdown by source.
What is V Spehar’s main source of income?
Spehar said, “I make my living on our Substack funds.” They described paid subscriptions as the most reliable money because readers pay monthly or annually. Spehar also said the subscriber base had stayed fairly steady, with departing subscribers offset by new ones. That makes recurring newsletter subscriptions the clearest answer to how the business supports a living—not a claim that subscriptions are the only income.
In April 2026, Nieman Journalism Lab reported that Under the Desk News had more than 184,000 Substack subscribers, nearly 7,000 of them paid. Those are audience counts, not earnings. The interview does not provide current subscription prices, fees, churn, or a total revenue figure, so the counts cannot establish gross income or take-home pay.
What are the other parts of the business?
Video-platform revenue
Spehar said the business earns YouTube AdSense revenue from monetized videos. TikTok also paid well for a period, but Spehar said it now pays poorly. No current payout amount or platform-by-platform split was disclosed. Spehar put the limitation plainly: “It’s not like you just make money doing the TikToks. That’s not a thing.”
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Spehar said they do not take many advertising deals, but are paid well when they do, citing strong click-through rates and audience trust. That is Spehar’s description of their own experience; the interview provides no independent performance data or deal rates.
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Consulting, speaking and events
Spehar said consulting and speaking engagements and in-person events still bring in a lot of money. The reporting gives no fee schedule or current share of income for these activities.
Why the TikTok income figure needs context
In a March 2023 interview with TIME, Spehar said they earned about $600 a month from TikTok’s Creator Fund. That is a historical, self-reported figure for one platform program—not a current estimate, a total monthly income, or evidence of what TikTok pays creators now. Spehar also said TikTok exposure helped bring in money from other ventures, including a podcast.
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The distinction matters: a large audience can help a creator sell subscriptions, attract partners, and book paid work, but views and followers are not themselves proof of income. The available reporting does not establish how much any one stream contributes today.
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What does the creator business cost to run?
Revenue is not the same as personal income. Spehar described business costs including staff, travel, lawyers, accountants and insurance, and summarized the balance this way: “I make a lot and it costs a lot. That’s how it works.” In the Nieman interview, Spehar gave an example of roughly $5,000 or $10,000 a year for media liability insurance with $1 million in coverage. That is Spehar’s example, not a standard price for creators.
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Because no current total revenue, expense total or profit margin is reported, the public figures do not show what Spehar ultimately takes home.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Under the Desk News became more than a TikTok account
A June 27, 2024 Verge profile reported that Spehar’s TikTok channel had 3.1 million followers at the time. It described a weekday workflow of reviewing news sites, choosing six to eight stories and making 90-second videos. These are details from the 2024 profile, not a current follower count or a claim about the present-day schedule.
The profile characterized the account as an effort to make news more accessible to younger audiences. By the April 2026 Nieman interview, the operation also included a live YouTube newscast, a Substack newsletter, daily recaps, politician interviews and cable-news appearances. A Substack welcome post from October 17, 2024, described a free weekly newsletter and a complimentary month for paid Patreon members moving to Substack; it documents the launch arrangement, not current pricing or membership terms. Read the welcome post.
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