⚠️ EXPOSED - YouTubers Earn Up To 35% Commission On Your Losses

That "trusted" trading YouTuber? They're making $10,000-$60,000 per month from your failed challenge fees. Every time you buy a challenge with their link, they pocket 5-35% of your payment.

The Truth: Most prop trading influencers hide affiliate commissions, violate FTC disclosure laws, and promote dangerous firms because they pay the highest rates—not because they're safe for traders.

This investigation exposes commission structures, FTC violations, why influencers push bad firms, and how to identify hidden affiliate scams.

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BREAKING EXPOSÉ • AFFILIATE SCAM REVEALED

The Affiliate Scam: How YouTubers Profit From Your Losses

Trading influencers earn 5-35% commission every time you fail a prop firm challenge. Top affiliates make $10k-$60k/month pushing dangerous firms while hiding commissions and violating federal disclosure laws.

Published: November 23, 2025
15 min read
Affiliate Marketing

1The Hidden Truth About Trading YouTubers

You're watching your favorite trading YouTuber. They're reviewing a prop firm, showing their "honest opinion," and offering you a "special discount code" to help you save money.

What they're NOT telling you:

The Reality:

That "discount code" is an affiliate link. Every time you use it, they earn 5-35% commission on your challenge fee. When you fail and forfeit your $300 payment, they pocket $15-$105. They're profiting from your losses.

According to industry research, top prop firm affiliates make $10,000-$60,000 per month from these commissions. And most of them? They never disclose it.

This investigation will expose exactly how much YouTubers earn, which firms pay the most (and why they're often the worst), how influencers violate federal disclosure laws, and how to identify hidden affiliate scams.

2By The Numbers: The Affiliate Money Machine

5-35%
Commission rate per referral
$10k-$60k
Monthly earnings (top affiliates)
$43,792
FTC fine per violation

According to industry research, prop firm affiliate commissions range from 5% to 35% of every challenge purchase.

The Affiliate Economics:

  • •Commission range: 5-35% per challenge sale
  • •Top earners: $10,000-$60,000/month
  • •75% of brands allocate budget to influencer affiliates
  • •400% ROI reported on influencer campaigns
  • •38% of customers trust influencer links more than brand links

Translation: When you buy a $300 challenge with an affiliate link paying 20% commission, the YouTuber earns $60. If you fail (90%+ do), they keep the commission and you lose everything. Their incentive is volume, not your success.

3Commission Rates Exposed: Who Pays What

Here are the actual commission structures, pulled from public affiliate programs:

Highest Commission Firms (20-35%)

•
SabioTrade: 35% revenue share OR $100 flat fee per first-time depositor

Example: $300 challenge = $105 commission OR $100 flat

•
ThinkCapital: Up to 25% per sign-up

Example: $300 challenge = $75 commission

•
City Traders Imperium (CTI): 20% per referral

Example: $300 challenge = $60 commission

•
E8 Markets: Up to 20% on evaluations

Example: $300 challenge = $60 commission

Medium Commission Firms (10-20%)

•
FTMO: 8-20% tiered (Bronze to Platinum levels)

Higher tiers unlock with more referrals per month

•
FunderPro: 5-20% on first sales, 2.5-10% recurring

Commission depends on performance milestones

•
FundedNext: Up to 15% commission

Industry-high rate for mid-tier program

•
Apex Trader Funding: Up to 20% + recurring income

Ongoing commissions from reset fees

Flat Fee Programs ($50-$250)

•
Earn2Trade: $50-$250 per sign-up (depends on product tier)

Higher tiers = higher flat commissions

•
Funding Pips: Up to 10% commission

Recently launched affiliate program

Critical Pattern:

Notice which firms pay the highest commissions? Many are newer, less established, or have questionable reputations. High commission = high risk for traders. Firms with sustainable business models (real capital, good payout records) pay lower commissions because they don't need aggressive affiliate marketing to attract volume.

4How Affiliate Programs Work: The 4-Tier System

Most prop firms use tiered commission structures. The more you refer, the higher your commission rate. Here's FTMO's model:

Bronze (Starting)

8-10% commission rate

Silver

12-15% commission rate

Gold (+$50k Challenge)

15-18% + free $50k challenge

Platinum (+$100k Challenge)

18-20% + free $100k challenge

This creates incentive for volume over quality. More referrals = higher tier = more money.

5The FTC Disclosure Scandal

Federal law requires affiliate disclosure. According to the FTC guidelines, influencers MUST:

  • ✗ Disclose in the video (audio + visual), not just description
  • ✗ Make it clear BEFORE purchase decision
  • ✗ Use clear language (not #ad buried in tags)
  • ✗ Can't hide in "Show More" section

Penalty:

Up to $43,792 per violation. Yet most prop trading YouTubers completely ignore these requirements.

6How to Spot Hidden Affiliate Links

1. Check for FTC Disclosure

Missing disclosure in video = hidden affiliate. Look for clear audio mention like "I earn commission from this link."

2. "Discount Code" = Affiliate

Any "special code" or "exclusive discount" is almost always an affiliate link tracking system.

3. Cross-Reference Reviews

Compare YouTube review with Reddit/Trustpilot. If firm has terrible reputation but glowing YouTube reviews = affiliate bias.

4. Multiple Videos Same Firm

Repeated coverage of one firm = strong affiliate relationship and ongoing commission earnings.

5. Ask Direct Questions

Comment: "Do you earn commission?" Defensive/evasive/no response = hidden affiliate.

7Affiliate Programs Ranked by Commission

Here's the complete ranking showing which firms pay YouTubers the most:

Tier 1 (25-35%): SabioTrade, ThinkCapital, E8 Markets, CTI

Tier 2 (15-20%): FTMO, Apex, FunderPro, FundedNext

Tier 3 (10-15%): Funding Pips, various others

Tier 4 (5-10%): Established firms with good reputations

Pattern: Highest commissions = newest/riskiest firms desperate for volume.

8Why Influencers Push Bad Firms

1. Economic Incentive

Bad firms pay 25-35%. Good firms pay 5-10%. YouTubers earn 3-7x more promoting dangerous firms.

2. High Failure = More Volume

When traders fail, they retry. More retries = more commission payments. Firms with 95% failure rates generate most affiliate revenue.

3. No Accountability

If firm shuts down or denies payouts, YouTuber already collected commissions. Zero liability for recommendations.

4. Recurring Revenue

Some programs pay ongoing commissions on resets, add-ons, and subscription fees. Worse firm performance = more recurring income.

9The FTC Violation Epidemic

Based on FTC guidelines, here's what prop trading YouTubers should do vs. what they actually do:

✓ Legal Requirements

  • • Audio disclosure in video
  • • Visual overlay during promotion
  • • Before purchase decision
  • • Clear, unambiguous language
  • • Not buried in description

✗ Actual Practice

  • • No mention in video
  • • No visual disclosure
  • • Hidden in "Show More"
  • • Vague "#ad" in tags
  • • Complete non-disclosure

The Reality:

Estimated 90%+ of prop trading YouTubers violate FTC disclosure requirements. Enforcement is rare but penalties can reach $43,792 per violation.

10The Math: Your Loss = Their Gain

Let's calculate how much YouTubers make from your failures:

Example: Mid-Tier YouTuber (10,000 subscribers)

1

Video reaches 20,000 views

Conversion rate: 2% click affiliate link = 400 clicks

2

50 people buy challenge ($300 each)

Total revenue to firm: $15,000

3

YouTuber commission at 20%

$15,000 × 20% = $3,000 from ONE video

4

45 traders fail (90% failure rate)

45 × $300 = $13,500 lost by traders
YouTuber keeps full $3,000 commission

With 10-20 videos/month: $30,000-$60,000/month affiliate income while followers lose money.

11How to Protect Yourself From Affiliate Scams

✓ Assume ALL Links Are Affiliate

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, treat every firm recommendation as affiliate-motivated.

✓ Verify Reviews Independently

Check Reddit, Trustpilot, and multiple sources. Don't rely solely on YouTube reviews.

✓ Prioritize Firm Reputation Over Discount

"10% off" means nothing if firm never pays out. Choose safety over savings.

✓ Ask About Commission Directly

Honest creators disclose upfront. Dishonest ones dodge the question.

Key Takeaways:

  • →YouTubers earn 5-35% commission on your challenge fees
  • →Top affiliates make $10k-$60k/month from trader losses
  • →90%+ violate FTC disclosure laws hiding affiliate relationships
  • →Highest commission = worst firms for traders
  • →Your failure = their profit creates perverse incentives
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