Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag were planning to celebrate the 15th anniversary of "Shallow" when tragedy strikes: California wildfires destroy their Pacific Palisades home Home in Pacific Palisades.

"It was the weirdest, craziest moment," Platt said type via zoom. “While everything was going on, I saw an email pop up saying the album was coming and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I just made a TikTok to remind people to do the livestream. I’ve been looking for any Something to do with income.”

On January 8, he shared the news that both his house and his parents' house had been destroyed in a fire, posting video of their evacuation and the damage they saw from a distance via surveillance footage — including both of them One of the son's beds is on fire in the shape of a heart.

"I know people are going to say, 'You're rich, you're going to be fine.' Yes, I hope. Heidi pays for everything in our house and I leave no stone unturned," he wrote on TikTok at the time. "Everything we've done has been in this house...We're starting from scratch now."

So Platt started posting — a lot. His following has grown by more than 1 million since the fire (it hit 2 million on Friday), and he encourages viewers to watch Montag's music. Although he kept hyping Montag's album, he didn't expect it to actually soar to the top of the iTunes and Spotify charts, nor did he expect Paris Hilton, Julia Fox , Emily Ratajkowski, Alix Earle, Flavor Flav and other celebrities posted it on social media.

However, he's not sure if he's actually making a profit. "I don't know how much money (music makes). I don't know if it comes in the form of a check or when, but everyone keeps telling me, don't expect to get any money. I'm excited about the energy and opportunity that comes from this It's more exciting. I don't think these live streams and all these charts (make money)," Platt said. "From what people tell me, the music industry is about touring, it's about merchandise, it's about all the stuff that comes with it; that's how artists make money, unless you're doing billions in streams, and I'm still There’s a big push (to push) and that’s not happening yet! I’m optimistic because really, that’s the only way to get through this.”

Pratt has been outspoken on TikTok and Snapchat about making longer videos and posting content frequently to make money. However, he said that while we often hear about creators making a lot of money, their RPMs, or revenue per thousand views, are extremely low — 10 cents. Platt said he watched a fan's video breaking down TikTok's financial model to understand why his rates were so low, and found that because he didn't talk about the TikTok algorithm's ability to pass ads (for example, on cooking accounts) monetized topic, so his RPM is lower. And since he gained nearly 1 million new followers in a week, his RPMs are also lower because the TikTok algorithm doesn't know what to do with his account.

"I heard this last night at 3 a.m. and I was like, awesome. I've never been so excited to get a million followers in a week. I thought I was going to make more with my followers and engagement A lot of money," he said.

Unlike music, he can see how much money he makes directly on TikTok.

"I made $4,000 on TikTok this week, but on TikTok Live, people can give me directly, I think it's probably $20,000. So it's extraordinary and life-changing. That's the power of individual supporters, People just support you and support you,” Platt said. "It's most powerful when you don't have to rely on advertising or artificial intelligence and algorithms, when real humans just want to give. It's incredible and incredible."

Additionally, once he's able to get into Pratt Daddy's offices in Palisades, he'll start shipping new "Superficial" T-shirts and has already received about 5,000 orders. While he used to print them himself, a larger company now helps. He’s also connected with companies to collaborate on making hummingbird feeders — something he often shares in his backyard.

Platt hopes paid partnerships will bring benefits as well. Lo Bosworth, who starred in "Laguna Beach" and later met Pratt on "The Hills," said her women's health company, Love Wellness, is ready to partner with him. There's nothing official yet, but he said he's very grateful for her support.

Since the fire, many fans and celebrities have asked the studio to create a reality show with the couple. While Platt mentioned Hulu first, he said he's open to any meeting with any producer who wants to document his family's rebuilding process.

"I wish we had started filming because it's so raw and real. We're connected to a lot of people whose stories aren't being heard and all the small businesses we're a part of. It would be a great opportunity to document it," he explain. "We already do that on social media, so I wanted to give my thumbs a break and do it with a bigger camera while I work on emails and things that come in."

For now, Platt is trying to find a silver lining — the anniversary of the "Shallow" album coincides with the fire — and help remind Montag of that. “Ever since I’ve known Heidi, she’s said — because I complained about a lot of situations — she said, ‘God uses everything for good.’ I would ask how, and she said, ‘It probably depends on God. Time, you don’t know God’s time,'” he said. "She was distraught and I thought, 'Honey, God's timing. We don't know. Something great might come out of this.'

"I obviously thought I was crazy," he continued. "I'm pretending to be positive."

One thing that is not fake is gratitude. "We're so grateful. There are always negative trolls and people who try to bring you down, but there are so many more people who truly support our family and want us to succeed," Platt said before the interview ended. “I also understand how lucky we are to have this opportunity and I’m looking forward to the future and being in a position where I can help other people.”