OAN Staff Cory Hawkins and Brooke Mallory
12:37 PM – Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Nick Shirley’s deep-dive into Minnesota fraud just hit the jackpot. On Tuesday, the conservative independent journalist was named a top winner in X’s newly launched writing contest — a competition designed to reward the kind of “high-impact” journalism that typically bypasses mainstream media newsrooms.
The six-figure prize spotlights Shirley’s in-depth exposé into ongoing Minnesota daycare fraud schemes, a report he published directly on the platform to bypass traditional media gatekeepers and bring the scandal to light.
Although he did not win the grand prize, Shirley was awarded one of four honorable mentions in recognition of the “seismic shift” attributed to his journalism.
The high-stakes reporting had quickly caught the eye of X owner Elon Musk, who launched a $1 million writing competition on January 16th. Seizing the opportunity to enter the competition, Shirley then reworked his widely circulated video into a detailed long-form article for the platform, allowing him to elaborate on his findings in greater depth.
“Extremely grateful to have been selected as an Honorable Mention and win $100,000 X is the future Unlike other platforms your reach is uncapped, content can create change and spark global conversation If X can pay creators to compete with Youtube and Facebook it’s game over,” he posted on X on Tuesday.
Originally a Utah-based YouTuber, Shirley rose to national prominence in late 2025 after launching an investigation into Minnesota’s federally funded childcare programs.
His reporting centered on a network of Somali-owned daycares in Minneapolis, culminating in a 42-minute documentary posted to X and YouTube. Since being posted, the exposé has exploded across X, racking up approximately 141 million views.
In the December 2025 video, Shirley and his crew uncover what appears to be over $110 million in potential fraud in a single day simply by visiting centers and questioning staff. Additionally, the team uncovers fraud within Minnesota’s non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) program, a Medicaid-funded service that reimburses companies for transporting patients to medical appointments.
With the contest rewarding “high-value, high-impact content that shapes conversation,” Shirley was ultimately awarded a $100,000 share of the prize pool.
The investigation’s massive reach was fueled in large part by Musk himself, as the Tesla CEO personally championed Shirley’s work, amplifying the report to his massive global audience through numerous posts.
Regardless of differing views on his work, Shirley’s reporting proved influential, setting off a series of political responses and federal scrutiny. Most notably, the exposé prompted the federal government to freeze childcare funding, pending further review, and was widely credited as a major factor that forced Governor Tim Walz (D-Minn.) to withdraw from his reelection bid.
Beyond the political fallout, the investigation served as a proof of concept for Musk’s vision for X: a platform where independent creators can bypass legacy media to break important stories and achieve global influence.
“Over the last couple of weeks, tens of thousands of creators published original Articles that informed, challenged, and shaped conversations across X. We’re grateful for the effort that went into every submission, and we worked carefully behind the scenes to protect the integrity of the contest by auditing the authenticity of each submission,” contest moderators announced on the platform, before naming the top winner.
“The Top Article by US Verified Home Timeline impressions was written by @beaverd. The article examines the role of a major government consulting firm in federal and state IT systems, analyzing contract data, audits, and documented system failures. Congratulations, you’re a millionaire.”
“US Verified Home Timeline impressions” is a specific metric used by X to measure and reward content creators, particularly in their monetization programs like ads revenue sharing and contests.
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