I used to always see those influencers flaunting their earnings in my feed, claiming that being a KOL for a year could bring in tens of millions. Back then, I thought even 200,000 was just pocket change for them. But looking at things now, it turns out they'll do anything for that sum—Photoshopping, using simulators for demonstrations. At first, they probably felt a bit guilty, but when things blew up, they just dug in their heels and refused to return the 200,000.

It really makes you wonder: how much do these influencers actually make from ads? Are those claims of making tens of millions a year real cash, or just pie in the sky? From the look of things, it feels like the situation is much murkier than I imagined.