this will force us humans to go actually outside, make friends, form deep social relationship, and build lasting, resilient communities
There is no chance it goes that way, how is talking to people outside even an option for someone used to just being on the internet? Even if the content gets worse, the basic mechanisms to keep people scrolling still function, while the physical and social infrastructure necessary for in person community building is nonexistent.
Being paid is a kind of attention/validation. The things he’s selling are “branding” stuff that feed into his cult of personality. It’s probably more of a narcissist thing than a money thing.