France creator economy growth and earnings, Digi Mart USA News (Paris, France): Is the creator economy becoming an industry like any other? On the occasion of the third edition of Paris Creator Week, held November 4 and 5 at Paris La Villette, Maddyness spoke with Marc Lesage-Moretti, known as Jokariz.
A former Goldman Sachs banker who became an entrepreneur and content creator, he discussed the transformations of a sector undergoing rapid professionalization.
Jokariz said the creator economy is growing exceptionally fast. Five years ago, the global market grew 18.2% per year, compared with 26.2% today.
At that pace, he said, it nearly doubles every three years.
With a market of $10.1 billion in 2026, France ranks seventh in the world. The creator economy represents 0.17% of French GDP, compared with 0.10% globally.
Jokariz said the country outperforms relative to the size of its economy, noting France’s longstanding strength in cultural and creative industries such as film and music.
According to the company’s study, the creator economy accounts for about 227,000 full-time equivalent jobs in France. Jokariz said the methodology is conservative because it focuses on activities directly tied to content creation.
Revenue from product brands launched by creators, such as Squeezie’s CiaoKombucha drink brand and MrBeast’s Feastables chocolate brand, is not included, although some of them have reached several hundred million dollars in annual sales.
Asked whether creators earn good livings, Jokariz said no. Of roughly 450,000 content creators identified in France, only 6% earn $30,000 a year and 1.3% exceed $100,000.
The average income is about $7,000 a year. He noted that the study’s definition is broad, counting as active any person with more than 1,000 followers on a platform who publishes regularly, so many do it out of passion or to supplement income.
Those who make a full-time living remain a minority, and those who build companies capable of hiring are rarer still.
On regulation, Jokariz said the June 2023 law has already helped improve the ecosystem, and that regulation supports professionalization and builds trust. He added that applying exactly the same rules as traditional media would require finding a balance, since audiences value creators for their authenticity and personal perspective even when they are not subject experts.
He said creators are not exempt from responsibility: social networks and creators have contributed, to some extent, to the polarization of public debate, though traditional media are not faultless in verifying information. The goal, he said, is to preserve freedom of expression while holding actors accountable.
Jokariz described artificial intelligence as a major opportunity. At his company, Jokariz Corporation, all staff use AI tools daily, which he likened to having a super intern.
He said the company’s revenue was multiplied by six this year, largely due to productivity gains linked to AI. He stressed that he does not mean fully AI-generated content, but tools that help prepare interviews, research information and analyze documents, adding that users must keep a critical mind.
Finally, Jokariz pointed to the growing number of mergers and acquisitions as evidence of change. The creator economy now includes studios, agencies, technology platforms and investors, not just independent creators.
He said Paris Creator Week expects 8,000 participants this year, up from 4,600 last year, with about 30% international attendees, and that leaders from platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitch will attend, including executives coming directly from the United States.
