It's his User page. He can put whatever he wants there, and this is certainly appropriate. Plus, he didn't deny the relationship -- he just said it isn't happening anymore.
It's a good question. I tend to feel that the market will eventually force Youtube to pay top contributors. I suppose whether it will depends upon the ability of good producers to migrate -- and I think it's not very hard.
If the market couldn't force these contributors to be paid, then it might say more about the contributors than anything else.