A 9-year-old boy in Egypt has made headlines after spending $118,000 on YouTube ads using his father's credit card. The boy, who runs a gaming channel called Mighty Mike Plays, had been using his father's credit card to fund his advertising campaigns on YouTube. The channel primarily focuses on Minecraft and Roblox games.
According to the father, who was identified as "Dave," the incident began as a learning experience for his son on how to create YouTube ads. He had initially set up a small ad campaign worth $20, but his son continued to create new campaigns over the course of three weeks, unaware of the accumulating expenses. The father's company credit card was linked to the Google account used by his son, allowing him to make repeated purchases.
The boy's ad campaigns promoted various videos on his channel, including Minecraft and Roblox-related content. Some of the promoted videos garnered up to 200,000 views. The father only discovered the excessive spending when his company's management contacted him about large transactions on the credit card. The incident highlights the importance of separating personal and work accounts and setting spending limits.
An investigation into the incident revealed that the credit card information was stored in a shared Google account, which allowed the boy to access it and make purchases. The father had previously used the card to buy Robux, a virtual currency used in Roblox, and the payment information remained saved in the account. This incident emphasizes the need for stricter controls on shared accounts and devices.
Following the discovery of the $118,000 expenditure, the father faced consequences, including the loss of his job. He is now required to address the massive bill within a short period. While the incident has raised concerns about the security of online transactions, it also underscores the importance of monitoring and controlling online spending, especially when children are involved.
The Mighty Mike Plays channel, run by the 9-year-old boy, has gained a significant following on YouTube, with tens of thousands of subscribers as of September 2026. Some of the promoted videos have accumulated hundreds of thousands of views, although it is unclear whether these views directly resulted from the ad campaigns. The incident serves as a cautionary tale for parents and account holders about the potential risks of unsupervised online spending.
Key points
- The incident highlights the importance of separating personal and work accounts and setting spending limits.
- The boy's ad campaigns promoted various videos on his channel, including Minecraft and Roblox-related content.
- The incident serves as a cautionary tale for parents and account holders about the potential risks of unsupervised online spending.
