Summary: Dave, who runs the Mighty Mike Plays YouTube channel, says his nine-year-old son used his employer’s credit card to run YouTube ad campaigns that accumulated more than $118,000 over about three weeks. Dave was fired and given 30 days to repay the amount; the family is considering selling their home. He accepts responsibility for failing to implement safeguards such as account separation, spending limits and parental controls.
Dad’s $20 YouTube Lesson Turned Into $118K Bill — Family Given 30 Days To Repay
Image by amrothman on Pixabay.
A father says a $20 demonstration on YouTube ads by his nine-year-old son ballooned into more than $118,000 in charges on his employer’s credit card — and now the family has been given 30 days to repay the amount. The father, known online as Dave of the Mighty Mike Plays channel, says he was fired and may need to sell the family home to cover the debt.
What Happened
Dave says he initially spent about $20 to show his son, Mike, how YouTube advertising works so the boy could learn how promoting a Minecraft video might increase views. After watching that small test, Mike reportedly began creating and running his own ad campaigns using a company card that was linked to his father’s employer.
How Charges Accumulated
Rather than a single huge transaction, the charges accumulated over roughly three weeks across multiple campaigns. Dave says three promoted videos reached about 200,000 views each while ad spending continued to grow. The company’s corporate and finance teams eventually summoned Dave to review the advertising transactions and questioned the more than $118,000 charged to the corporate card.
Dave’s position: He does not blame his nine-year-old son, saying Mike didn’t understand the implications of using the company card. Dave accepts responsibility for missing safeguards such as account separation, spending limits and parental controls.
Context And Takeaways
YouTube advertising is billed as campaigns deliver impressions across YouTube and Google video placements, so multiple campaigns can generate substantial cumulative charges over time. Advertisers also have access to performance data that shows how campaigns are spending and how viewers respond; in this case, Dave says he did not expect his son to operate the advertising tools independently.
The family is now exploring options to raise the funds, including possibly selling their home. Dave says he should have separated work and personal accounts and implemented spending controls to prevent unauthorized use.
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