I don't know about "paid" but his column has moved from "shill who sometimes has a point" to "rabid fanboy" recently. As a recent example [1], he claims Japan's primary reason to punish Apple and Google is protectionism for Sony and Nintendo. His point is so strained he (intentionally?) fails to mention Microsoft, a check notes American company.
[1]: https://daringfireball.net/linked/2024/06/15/japan-app-store...