Santaolalla vs Xokas: feud exposes Spain's public money divide

Santaolalla vs Xokas: the showdown that lays bare the influencer economy

Does someone who has never touched a euro of public money have more legitimacy to talk about the economy? The clash between Sarah Santaolalla, linked to state-subsidised media, and streamer El Xokas, who built his fortune outside the public sector, has reignited the debate over who can speak without their bank balance giving them away.

The journalist called the content creator "insecure, frustrated, sens, ignorant and profoundly imbecilic", in a verbal escalation that quickly turned to the numbers. While some argue that Xokas is a digital entrepreneur who has never asked the State for a cent, others point out that this is precisely why his success — and his arrogance — unsettles those who live off the public purse. The argument is not new, but the time-stamped label "it doesn't matter when you read this" suggests the conflict is structural, not a passing one.

Behind the insults lies a real tension: the streamer generates millions in income through subscriptions, donations and brand deals, without depending on subsidies or public jobs. In the other corner, Santaolalla and her circle — including her partner — are labelled "spongers off my taxes", a recurring accusation in circles critical of public spending. The feud goes beyond the personal: it is the clash between two funding models, two ways of understanding the digital economy.

A curious detail: Xokas himself has admitted feeling uncomfortable with the "middle class" label, when his fortune places him far above that bracket. But the key to the debate is not his wealth, but who pays for it. In a country where taxation and the culture of hard work are at the centre of political debate, this episode is just another chapter in the same ideological battle.

A final irony: when the noise of the insults dies down, the numbers will remain. And numbers, like taxes, show no mercy.