# YouTube advertising spending incident involving minor

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/youtube-advertising-spending-incident-involving-minor
> Updated: 2026-09-20T18:38:09.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 3.

A nine-year-old boy running the YouTube gaming channel ‘Mighty Mike Plays’ spent approximately $118,480 on YouTube advertisements to promote Minecraft and Roblox content. The spending occurred over a three-week period after the child gained access to his father’s company credit card, which had been saved to a shared Google account.

The father, identified as David Sarkisyan, stated that the situation began when he attempted to help his son increase video views by demonstrating a small $20 advertising campaign. However, the child reportedly misunderstood the budgeting process, operating under the logic that “more money, more views.” Because no spending cap had been configured, the transactions continued to be approved by the card.

The unauthorized spending was discovered during a corporate audit, leading to a meeting between Sarkisyan, company management, and financial officials. While the boy’s campaigns successfully generated roughly 200,000 views, the incident has resulted in significant professional and personal fallout. 

Sarkisyan reported that his employer terminated his employment following an internal review of the charges. Furthermore, he stated that the company is demanding full reimbursement within 30 days, a requirement so severe that his family has discussed selling their home to meet the repayment demand. Sarkisyan has expressed a commitment to resolving the debt personally rather than through crowdfunding.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-20: David Sarkisyan loses job after son spends $118,000 on YouTube ads

A nine-year-old boy used his father's corporate credit card to spend over $118,000 on YouTube ads for gaming videos, resulting in his father losing his job and facing demands for full repayment.

5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/david-sarkisyan-loses-job-after-son-spends-118000-on-youtube-ads

### 2026-09-18: Nine-year-old spends $118,000 on YouTube ads using father's corporate card

A nine-year-old boy spent $118,000 on YouTube ads for his gaming channel using his father’s corporate credit card after a marketing lesson went wrong.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/nine-year-old-spends-118000-on-youtube-ads-using-fathers-corporate-card

### 2026-09-16: YouTube creator's father faces $118,000 bill after 9-year-old son runs ad campaigns

A 9-year-old YouTuber spent $118,000 on YouTube ads for Minecraft and Roblox videos using his father's saved company credit card.

11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/youtube-ads-cost-9-year-old-boy-118000-using-fathers-company-card

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Cite as: YouTube advertising spending incident involving minor. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/youtube-advertising-spending-incident-involving-minor