As mentioned in Falsification Complete, since shifting its focus towards health and wellness, the “Diary of a CEO” podcast has become increasingly popular — and in the world of social media influencers and content creators, popularity is synonymous with profitability.

Host Stephen Bartlett said he expected it to make revenues of £20 million in 2024, primarily from advertising.¹
Platforms and creators alike have learned that health content performs exceptionally well online, with posts about wellness, longevity, disease prevention, or “natural” cures reliably generating high engagement. In this context, the phrase “health is wealth” has taken on a new dimension. Savvy content creators, organised groups, and global enterprises now deliberately exploit the dynamics of digital platforms to monetise false health information and make a stake on the almost $1 trillion industry. Some do so opportunistically; others build entire business models around it. This monetisation can be broken down into several key revenue streams:

 

Donations

Direct financial contributions, encompassing everything from cash donations, stocks and shares, and cryptocurrency to bequest via wills, represent a significant revenue stream for individuals and groups disseminating misinformation. Frequently adopting the rhetoric of grassroots social movements, these actors cultivate a sense of community and loyalty among a sympathetic audience, who are then encouraged to contribute financially to a cause they believe in.²

This approach is entirely legal and often adopted by groups spreading misinformation surrounding vaccinations. One study found that 85% of anti-vaccination websites showed some attempt to monetise their activity.² In 2023, Informed Consent Action Network (ICAN), one of the most influential anti-vaccine organisations globally, reported a total revenue of $23.2 million, with $23.1 million (99.5%) of that coming from contributions and donations.³

 

Platform Monetisation

Many social media platforms directly compensate content creators based on metrics such as views, watch time, and overall engagement. The business model incentivises emotionally-charged content with high viral potential.

The Wall Street Journal reported on a creator whose video about their experience on a weight-loss drug earned $2,371 through YouTube’s monetisation program — but failed to cover some of the negative side effects they experienced.4 Creators note that posts highlighting risks attract fewer views and therefore generate lower earnings, showing how platform incentives can encourage the creation of attention-grabbing, but incomplete health narratives.⁴

 

Product Sales

This revenue stream converts audience trust and attention into purchases, encompassing a wide array of offerings from branded merchandise and digital products to unproven ‘natural remedies’ or health solutions.

Deepfake technologies, such as AI-generated videos and cloned voices, increasingly exploit the credibility of known personalities to drive product sales. A report in the British Medical Journal found that deepfakes of high-profile celebrity doctors were being used to entice viewers into buying bootleg or illegal medicines, that were being falsely advertised to treat conditions from high blood pressure to diabetes.

 

Advertising Revenue

Whether directly negotiated or facilitated through third-party advertising networks, the sale of advertising space relies heavily on creators generating high traffic and engagement to maximise ad impressions and clicks.

This revenue stream is often exploited by sites that imitate the appearance and style of legitimate news outlets, but intentionally publish hoaxes, sensationalised stories, or highly distorted versions of real events, including false health content. The fake news industry in North Macedonia (particularly in the city of Veles) has gained international notoriety, with some creators able to make an income of more than €7,500 in a single month from advertising revenue in a country where the average monthly salary is around just €690.^6,7

 

Political Value of Misinformation

Misinformation is not only a powerful tool for financial gain, but also a global and growing weapon among political groups.⁸ Political dis- and misinformation is spread to ‘pollute’ otherwise healthy information ecosystems, often targeting emotional and divisive topics.⁹ These methods are used to undermine trust in institutions, shift public perception, and influence political outcomes.

Cambridge Analytica allegedly collected personal data from millions of Facebook users without explicit consent. This data was reportedly used to build psychological profiles, exploit emotional triggers and micro-target voters with personalised political content, potentially influencing the outcome of political campaigns.¹⁰ Discrediting scientists and health professionals have also become tactics used for political gain.¹¹ A notable example was during the COVID-19 pandemic, where unreliable media sources and political figures pushed disinformation to support their agendas.¹² Common false narratives claimed the virus originated from bioweapons research, biological attacks, or military operations.¹³

Whether disguised as activism, entertainment, or expert advice, the entanglement of misinformation with money and power is a particularly insidious byproduct of a largely unregulated media environment, where anyone with an internet connection can publish, promote, and profit from content regardless of its accuracy. Patients searching for health information in times of deep vulnerability, fear or desperation are now all too often met with grift and greed.

Head to the Doctored Truths Report to continue reading and find out more.

 

Sources

1. The Times. Steven Bartlett on success: ‘I don’t see myself as a guru’. Available at: https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/entrepreneurs/article/steven-bartlett-interview-podcast-guru-qd
   v22npmd?msockid=174c45452caf60c51e2a535a2dd561c8. Accessed: September 2025.
2. Herasimenka A et al. J Commun 2022; 73(2):126-137.
3. Nonprofit Explorer – ProPublica. Informed Consent Action Network. Available at: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/814540235. Accessed: September 2025.
4. The Wall Street Journal. Influencers Love Ozempic—but They Aren’t Telling You About the Risks. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/health/pharma/ozempic-weight-loss-drug-side-effects-social-media-influencers-66f73ac0?utm_source=chatgpt.com. Accessed: September 2025.
5. Stokel-Walker C. BMJ 2024: 386: q1319.
6. Financial Times. Macedonia’s fake news industry sets sights on Europe. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/333fe6bc-c1ea-11e6-81c2-f57d90f6741a. Accessed: September 2025.
7. State Statistical Office. Average monthly net wage paid per employee, January 2025. Available at: https://www.stat.mk/en/stat/population-andliving-conditions/labour-market/average-monthlynet-wage-paid-per-employee/average-monthlynet-wage-paid-per-employee-january-2025/. Accessed: September 2025.
8. Oxford report – University of Oxford. Social media manipulation by political actors an industrial scale problem. Available at: https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-01-13-social-media-manipulationpolitical-actors-industrial-scale-problem-oxfordreport. Accessed: September 2025.
9. HKS Misinformation Review. Critical disinformation studies: History, power, and politics. Available at: https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/critical-disinformationstudies-history-power-and-politics/. Accessed: September 2025.
10. BBC News. Cambridge Analytica: The story so far. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-43465968. Accessed: September 2025.
11. Health in the age of disinformation. The Lancet 2025; 405(10474): 173.
12. King’s College London. Battles of Influence: Deliberate Disinformation and Global Health Security. Available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/battles-of-influence-deliberate-disinformation-and-global-health-security. Accessed: September 2025.
13. EUvsDisinfo. EEAS SPECIAL REPORT:Disinformation on the coronavirus – short assessment of the information environment. Available at: https://euvsdisinfo.eu/eeas-specialreport-disinformation-on-the-coronavirus-shortassessment-of-the-information-environment/. Accessed: September 2025