A nine-year-old boy reportedly spent nearly $118,000 (about Rs 1 crore) on YouTube advertising campaigns for his Minecraft and Roblox videos after using his family’s company credit card.

According to a report by Tom’s Hardware, the child’s father said the spending occurred over roughly three weeks and began with what was intended to be a single $20 promotional campaign.

A small promotion turns into a huge bill

The father reportedly allowed his son to promote his gaming channel, believing the child would spend only a small amount on advertising.

Instead, the advertising charges accumulated rapidly, eventually reaching about $118,000.

The boy was reportedly trying to increase the visibility of his Minecraft and Roblox gameplay videos. The incident has raised questions about how easily significant advertising expenditure can accumulate when payment details are linked to an online advertising account.

The father described the situation as devastating, particularly because the card belonged to his business.

The risks of unsupervised online spending

Online platforms allow advertisers to set campaign budgets and promote content to targeted audiences. However, the incident illustrates the importance of ensuring that children cannot independently access accounts connected to business payment methods.

For parents and businesses, separating personal and company payment information, enabling spending limits and using parental controls can help reduce the risk of accidental purchases.

The case also highlights how children’s growing involvement in online gaming and content creation can introduce financial risks that may not be immediately apparent.

A costly lesson for digital users

The reported incident began with an innocent attempt to promote a child’s gaming channel but ended with a bill hundreds of times larger than the intended promotion.

It serves as a reminder that digital services involving advertising, subscriptions or in-app purchases can carry substantial financial consequences when account permissions and payment controls are not carefully managed.