I doubt any of the media platforms like Medium or any other will be paying writers regardless of how many readers read their product

Am I misunderstanding what you’re saying here? You certainly know that Medium pays writers, since you’re a paid Medium member yourself.

Also, attracting eyeballs and attracting dollars are two very different things. To attract eyeballs, all you need is an attention-grabbing headline. Attracting dollars incentivizes a different set of emotions.