From Car Throttle to Donut, countless YouTube creators are fleeing. But is this a new trend or a tale as old as venture capital?

Why do so many YouTubers quit? From endless comparisons to bigger creators, to dealing with trolls, burnout, and feeling like the effort isn’t worth the reward, many creators reach a breaking point.

“‘It’s not possible, really, ever, to grow at the rates that investment firms want,’ King said. ‘The people creating stuff say, ‘Hey, that’s not possible.’ The people funding the stuff say, ‘We don’t ...