I read elsewhere that YT was holding him back from talking/saying/expressing some of the things he wanted to, and that he only planned on doing the podcast for a few more years then retiring. If that turns out to be true then the payout makes sense, or just simply being able to say what you want might be worth it to him.
I of-course realize the power of YT, but it's a total crap platform and if I was in his spot I'd be looking for any possible way out, especially with his content.
