James Stephen"Jimmy"Donaldson[a](born May 7, 1998), better known by his online aliasMrBeast,is an American YouTuber,internet personality,and businessman. He is known for his fast-paced and high-production videos featuring elaborate challenges and lucrative giveaways.[11]With over 312 million subscribers, he has themost-subscribed-to YouTube channel(a position it has held since June 2024, during which it became the first channel to reach 300 million subscribers)[12][13],and is thethird-most-followed creatoronTikTokwith over 103 million followers. He also has over 60 million followers onInstagramand 30.9 million onX(formerly Twitter).
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Born | James Stephen Donaldson May 7, 1998 Wichita, Kansas,U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
Origin | Greenville, North Carolina,U.S.[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
Other names | MrBeast6000 | ||||||||||||||||||
Education | Greenville Christian Academy | ||||||||||||||||||
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Website | mrbeast | ||||||||||||||||||
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Years active | 2012–present | ||||||||||||||||||
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Last updated:August 5, 2024 |
Donaldson grew up inGreenville, North Carolina.He began posting videos to YouTube in early 2012[14]under the handleMrBeast6000.His early content ranged fromLet's Playsto "videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers".[15]He went viral in 2017 after his "counting to 100,000" video earned tens of thousands of views in just a few days. His videos have become increasingly grand and extravagant.[16]Once his channel took off, Donaldson hired some of his childhood friends to co-run the brand. Donaldson also runs the YouTube channels Beast Reacts (formerly BeastHacks), MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts),[17]and thephilanthropychannel Beast Philanthropy.[18][19]
Donaldson is the founder ofMrBeast Burger,Feastables,and a co-creator ofTeam Trees,a fundraiser for theArbor Day Foundationthat has raised over $24 million for its campaigns.[20][21]He also co-foundedTeam Seas,a fundraiser forOcean ConservancyandThe Ocean Cleanupthat has raised over $30 million.[22]Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award four years in a row at theStreamy Awardsin 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023; he also won the Favorite Male Creator award three times at the2022,2023,and2024 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.In 2023,Timenamed him as one ofthe world's 100 most influential people.[23]He has ranked on theForbeslist for the highest-paid YouTube creator in 2022[24]and has an estimated net worth of $500 million.[25]
Early life
James Stephen Donaldson[a]was born on May 7, 1998,[26]inWichita, Kansas.[27]He was mainly raised inGreenville, North Carolina.[28][29]He moved often and was under the care ofau pairsdue to his parents working long hours and serving in the military. His parents divorced in 2007.[28]In 2016, Donaldson graduated from Greenville Christian Academy, a small privateevangelical Christianhigh school in the area. He briefly attendedEast Carolina Universitybeforedropping out.[30][31]While at Greenville Christian, Donaldson played baseball as anoutfielderfor several years.[32]After dropping out of college, Donaldson and his friends tried to analyze YouTube's recommendation algorithm and sought to deduce how to create viral videos.[33]Donaldson recalled during this period, "There's a five-year point in my life where I was just relentlessly, unhealthily obsessed with studying virality, studying the YouTube algorithm. I woke up. I wouldUber Eatsfood. And then I would sit on my computer all day just studying shit nonstop with [other YouTubers]. "[28]
YouTube career
Early viral attempts (2012–2017)
Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube video in February 2012, at the age of 13, under the name of "MrBeast6000".[34]His early content ranged fromLet's Plays,mainly focused onMinecraftandCall of Duty: Black Ops II,[34]videos estimating the wealth of otherYouTubers,[35]videos that offered tips to upcoming YouTube creators, and commentary on YouTube drama. Donaldson appeared infrequently in these videos.[34]
In 2015 and 2016, Donaldson began to gain popularity with his "Worst Intros on YouTube" series poking fun at YouTube video introductions.[34]By mid-2016, Donaldson had around 30,000 subscribers. In the fall of that year, Donaldson dropped out ofEast Carolina Universityto pursue a full-time career as a YouTuber.[15][35]His mother disapproved of his decision and made him move out of the family home.[30]
As his channel grew, Donaldson hired four childhood friends—Chris Tyson (now Ava Kris Tyson),Chandler Hallow, Garrett Ronalds, and Jake Franklin—to contribute to his channel.[30]Franklin left the crew in 2020. Afterward,Karl Jacobs,previously a cameraman, was promoted to take his place.[36][37][38]
Rise to fame (2017–2020)
In January 2017, Jimmy Donaldson published an almost day-long video of himself counting to 100,000, which became his breakthrough viral video.[16]The ordeal took him 40 hours, with some parts sped up to "keep it under 24 hours".[39]Donaldson gained popularity during this period with stunts, such as attempting to break glass using a hundredmegaphones,watching paint dry for an hour,[31]staying underwater for 24 hours, which ended up failing due to health issues, and an unsuccessful attempt to spin afidget spinnerfor a day.[40]By 2018, Donaldson had given out $1 million through his stunts, which earned him the title of "YouTube's biggestphilanthropist".[30]
During thePewDiePie vs T-Series rivalryin 2018, a competition to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, Donaldson bought billboards and numerous television and radio advertisements to helpPewDiePiegain more subscribers thanT-Series.[41][42]DuringSuper Bowl LIII,he bought multiple seats for himself and his team, whose shirts spelled out "Sub 2 PewDiePie".[43][44]
In March 2019, Donaldson organized and filmed a real-lifebattle royalecompetition in Los Angeles with prizes totaling $200,000 (two games were played, each awarding $100,000) in collaboration withApex Legends.[45]The event and prize pool were sponsored byApex LegendspublisherElectronic Arts.[46]
Donaldson was accused of using counterfeit money in his video titled "I Opened A FREE BANK", published on November 23, 2019.[30]He later explained that he used fake money to avoid participant safety concerns and that participants received real checks after the shoot.[30]
In April 2020, Donaldson created arock, paper, scissorscompetition stream that featured 32 influencers and a grand prize of $250,000, which, at the time, became YouTube's most-watched liveOriginalevent with 662,000 concurrent viewers.[47]The event was won byNadeshot.[48]In October 2020, Donaldson hosted another influencer tournament, this timetrivia,featuring 24 competitors with a grand prize of $300,000. The winners of the tournament were the siblingsCharliandDixie D'Amelio,which caused controversy due to claims that they cheated.[49]
Mainstream success (2021–2024)
On January 1, 2021, Donaldson released the video "Youtube Rewind 2020, Thank God It's Over". In Donaldson's video, he explains that he had always believed that YouTubers "should get more say inRewind",and with this in mind, he decided to call" hundreds of YouTubers ". At the end of the video, Donaldson gives a shout-out to PewDiePie, citing him and his 2018 Rewind as the inspiration for Donaldson's Rewind.[50]A month later, Donaldson signed aFacebookandSnapchatcontent distribution deal with Jellysmack.[51][52]
During aClubhouseroom in February 2021, Donaldson booted entrepreneur Farokh Sarmad after he allegedly said he could not pronounce his name, a move that Sarmad later said was racist. Sarmad's claims were questioned and denied by other Clubhouse users, who were present at the call and argued against Sarmad's claims, claiming that Donaldson removed him along with others to make room for women to be more inclusive.[53][54]
In November 2021, Donaldson uploaded "$456,000Squid Gamein Real Life!",a recreation of thesurvival dramastreaming televisionseriesSquid Gamein real life. The video had 456 people compete for a $456,000 cash prize.[55]The video was one of the most-watched YouTube videos of 2021, receiving over 130 million views within a week.[56]A review of the video inViceargued that it "badly misunderstood the anti-capitalist message ofSquid Game".[57]Despite this,Squid GamecreatorHwang Dong-hyukhas reacted positively to recreations and parodies of the series.[58]
In December 2021, Donaldson created a thirdinfluencertournament featuring 15 competitors with a grand prize of $1 million.[59][60][61]In January 2022,Forbesranked Donaldson as YouTube's highest-earning creator, earning an estimated $54 million in 2021.Forbesstated that his income in 2021 would have placed him 40th in the 2020Forbes Celebrity 100,earning as much money asVin DieselandLewis Hamiltondid in 2020.[24][62]
On July 28, 2022, Donaldson surpassed 100 million subscribers on his main channel, making him the fifth channel and the second individual YouTuber to achieve the milestone.[63][64]On November 17, 2022, Donaldson achieved theGuinness World Recordof "Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube" with his MrBeast channel at 112 million subscribers.[65]The previous record holder,PewDiePie,had held the record as the most subscribed YouTuber for almost ten years.[66]Donaldson achieved one billion video views over 30 days on his main YouTube channel in November 2022.[67]On October 15, 2023, Donaldson surpassed 200million subscribers.[68]HisYouTube Shortsvideo "Would You Fly to Paris for a Baguette?" is the most watched video on his main YouTube channel, having more than 1.3 billion views and 50 million likes as of January 2024.[69]
On June 2, 2024, Donaldson surpassed Indian-based music label and film production companyT-Seriesin subscribers for the title of the most subscribed channel on YouTube, at 267 million.[70]On July 10, 2024, Donaldson became the first YouTuber to surpass 300 million subscribers.[71]On July 13, 2024, Donaldson uploaded his 300 million subscribers special, "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000".The video featured guest appearances fromHowie Mandel,Miranda Cosgrove,andJoey Chestnut.[72]This video reached 71 million views in the first 24 hours, becoming Donaldson's most-viewed video within its first 24 hours.[73]
Allegations (2024–present)
On July 24, 2024, Donaldson removed Ava Kris Tyson, one of the original cast members, from the MrBeast brand after allegations of sexual misconduct[clarification needed]with multiple minors and pressuring a former employee into doing sexual acts had surfaced.[74]However, Tyson put out her own statement, saying she willingly stepped away and that her decision to leave was mutual.[75][76]One of the alleged victims initially responded to the allegations by denying that he had been groomed, referring to it as "massive lies and twisting the truth" and claimed that Tyson had only "made a few edgy jokes".[77][78]He later rescinded the statement and said that the conversations were inappropriate for his age and acknowledged that he was a minor who didn't recognize the wrongdoing at the time.[79]Donaldson released a statement saying he was "disgusted and opposed to such unacceptable acts" as had been alleged and was hiring an independent investigator to look further into the matter.[80]Later on, Tyson'sDiscordserver with people related to the allegations present had 500,000 messages leaked onGitHub,allegedly containing explicit conversations. The messages were removed a few days later, with GitHub citing a violation of their terms.[74]
On the same day, one of Donaldson's former employees released a YouTube video accusing Donaldson of rigging contests, running illegal lotteries, and deceiving his fans.[81][82]In a second video, the uploader interviewed another former employee who described poor working conditions, as well as Donaldson hiring Jake Franklin's brother-in-law,[83]a registered sex offender, who was charged with assaulting a minor. The uploader also alleged that Donaldson's cameraman sexually harassed multiple women.[84]Before the second video came out, Donaldson was pledging to hire achief human resources officer,chief financial officer,andgeneral counsel,as well as implementsensitivity trainingfor employees. Tyson is also being investigated by law firmQuinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.[85]
YouTube content
Early in his career, Donaldson's content usually consisted ofLet's Plays,"best and worst" videos and YouTube commentary.[86][34]Donaldson's present-day videos are categorized into three genres: stunt videos, where Donaldson or other participants perform challenges that are interesting, challenging, or dangerous; "junklord" videos, where Donaldson uses a large quantity of a particular product unusually or spends an extravagant amount on it; and giveaway videos, where Donaldson gives away large amounts of money or extravagant prizes to people, usually including a competitive aspect.[b]Giveaway videos are considered to be a distinctive feature of Donaldson's content.[86]
Donaldson's videos leverage YouTube'srecommendation algorithmto goviral,mainly by maximizingclick-through rateandviewer retention.[86]To maximize click-through rate, he focuses on creating effective topics, titles, andthumbnails.[87]In an interview withLex Fridman,he stated that for him to create a viral video, it needed to be "original, creative, something people really need to see, ideally never been done before".[88]His titles are designed to attract attention by promising outrageous stunts, and using certain keywords like "24-hours" and "challenge".[33][87]His thumbnails are designed to be easily understandable, clearly focused, and brightly colored.[89]To maximize viewer retention, Donaldson paces the videos to have viewers engaged throughout. His videos typically span 10–30 minutes. He hooks viewers by explaining the premise in under half a minute at the start of the video,[33]and promises a "finale" to have viewers engaged until the end of the video.[86]
Donaldson's funding for these videos mainly comes fromsponsorshipsand Google'sAdSenseprogram.[90]Donaldson was reported in 2022 to spend about $1 million on each video.[28]Most of his funding comes from sponsorships.[90]Donaldson uses his reaction channel and gaming channel to help finance his main channel, as their videos are relatively cheap to produce and make a substantial amount of money.[28]The Vergenoted that his revenue is self-perpetuating: "The more viral he becomes, the more brands want to work with him, and the bigger his own AdSense earnings get. He can then entice viewers with even bigger giveaway videos. It's a never ending cycle".[90]He stated in an interview withRolling Stone:"I could be doing cheaper videos, [...] But I just don't want to. I want to push the boundaries to go bigger, bigger".[28][91]Donaldson earns passive income through merchandise,MrBeast Burger,andFeastables.[86][92]
As of 2023, Donaldson employs over 250 people. They include writers, editors, and producers.[93][94]Many employees are people familiar to Donaldson, such as friends and family members.[94]Some former employees alleged that Donaldson nurtured a difficult work environment. In a May 2021New York Timesarticle, Matt Turner, an editor for Donaldson from February 2018 to September 2019, claimed that Donaldson berated him almost daily, including calling him a "retard". Turner reported that he was regularly not credited for his work.[94]Reporting byInsidershowed that Turner previously posted a video in 2018 explaining his allegations and, in October 2019, released a deleted Twitter thread which stated that he was "yelled at, bullied, called mentally retarded and replaceable by Donaldson every single day".[95]Nate Anderson, another editor, quit after working for Donaldson for a week in 2018 over what he said were unreasonable demands and called Donaldson a perfectionist. After releasing a video describing his experience, Anderson reportedly received death threats from Donaldson's fans. Nine other employees who worked for Donaldson also stated that while he was sometimes generous, his demeanor would change when the cameras were off.[94][95]Donaldson disputes these claims, stating: "We have high standards, but it’s not a toxic work environment".[28]Donaldson also claims that he gave Turner $10,000 and suggested a job at another company to him at the end of his contract.
Other ventures
Finger on the App
In June 2020, Donaldson, in collaboration withBrooklyn-based art collectiveMSCHF,released a one-time multiplayer mobile game titledFinger on the App.In the game, players touch their phone screen and the last person to remove their finger from the screen wins $25,000.[96]In the end, four people ended up winning $20,000 each after keeping their finger on the app for over 70 hours.[97]The game was reportedly so successful that a sequel titledFinger on the App 2was planned to originally launch in December 2020. The game was postponed to February, and then further delayed to March 2021 due to a flood of downloads, causing the game to crash and requiring the game's developers to upgrade their servers. This time, the game featured a grand prize of $100,000.[98]The winner kept their finger on the phone screen for around 51 hours. The second-place finisher also received a prize of $20,000.[99]
MrBeast Burger
Will Hyde, a producer for the MrBeast channel, announced in a November 2020 article withThe Wake Weeklythat Donaldson would launch avirtual restaurantcalledMrBeast Burgerin December 2020. Hyde said his team worked withVirtual Dining Conceptsduring the development of the restaurant concept. He said MrBeast Burger will sell franchise rights to serve the burgers to restaurants across the U.S., and customers will be able to order the burgers viaonline delivery services.[100]In August 2022, Donaldson announced that he would bring a MrBeast Burger shop to theAmerican Dream MallinEast Rutherford, New Jersey,nearNew York City,to be the location of his first U.S. restaurant. The restaurant opened on September 4, 2022.[101]
On June 17, 2023, Donaldson expressed wishes to shut down MrBeast Burger due to fears that quality cannot be guaranteed, saying he regrets signing "a bad deal" withVirtual Dining Concepts,LLC, but said the company "won't let me stop even though it's terrible for my brand".[102][103][104]On July 31, 2023, Donaldson sued Virtual Dining Concepts to end their partnership, alleging that the company damaged his reputation by prioritizing the expansion of the MrBeast Burger brand over food quality. Donaldson also claimed he received no payment from the partnership.[105][106]Virtual Dining Concepts disputed the claims, stating Donaldson had grown his reputation due to the MrBeast Burger brand, and accused Donaldson of attempting a new deal for personal gain and resorting to "bullying" when rejected.[107]
Feastables
In January 2022, Donaldson announced the creation of a new food company called Feastables, which launched its own brand of chocolate bars called "Feastables". At launch, they offered three flavors of bars: original, almond, andquinoacrunch. The launch corresponded with a sweepstakes with over $1 million in prizes, including $10,000 prize winners who would receive a chance to compete for a chocolate factory in a future video, emulatingCharlie and the Chocolate Factory.[108][better source needed]The video, released in June 2022, contained a series of elimination challenges where the winner won the choice of the chocolate factory or a $500,000 cash prize.Michelin StarchefGordon Ramsayfeatured as a judge in the final challenge of the video and ultimately decided who won the cash prize.[109][110]Feastables reportedly made $10million in its first few months of operation.[111]
On March 3, 2023, Donaldson asked fans on Twitter to "clean up the presentation" of Feastables displays on store shelves and suggested that they obscure competing products. Feastables offered fans entry into a $5,000 raffle if they provided proof of their assistance. The tweets drew criticism and accusations that Feastables was exploiting fans for unpaid labor.[112][113]
On October 2, 2023, Feastables signed a partnership with theCharlotte Hornetsto include MrBeast's insignia on their jerseys.[114][115]
On January 11, 2024, Donaldson announced changes to the original Feastables bar, including a new shape and formula.
Investments and partnerships
Donaldson is an investor in the tech startupBackbone,which produces theBackbone One,a controller that makes smartphones appear more similar to Nintendo Switch controllers, and the Backbone app, a content creation and social tools app for its users.[116][117]
In March 2021, Donaldson partnered with Creative Juice financial network to introduce Juice Funds, a $2 million investment fund for content creators.[118][94]
In April 2021, Donaldson became a long-term investor and partner offinancial technologycompany Current.[119][120]The same month, Donaldson received backlash after fans lost large amounts of money in acryptocurrencyscheme that Donaldson had invested in and promoted.[94]
In November 2022, Donaldson partnered withEast Carolina Universityto create a course centered around YouTube content creation.[121][122]
In May 2023, Donaldson was featured as a judge on Gordon Ramsay'sFood Starsshow.[123]
In September 2023, Donaldson partnered withSamsung,making theSamsung Galaxysmartphone series the officialvloggingcamera of MrBeast.[124]
FAST Channel
In 2023, afree ad-supported streaming televisionnetwork named Mr. Beast that only shows previously released MrBeast YouTube videos began airing on theRoku Channelservice.[125]
Beast Games
In March 2024, Donaldson andAmazon MGM Studiosannounced their plans to create a new reality competition seriesBeast Games,set to air exclusively onPrime Video.It is set to become the biggest reality competition series with 1,000 contestants competing for a $5million cash prize—the biggest single prize in the history of television and streaming.[126]
Criticism
The show faced criticism after contestants complained that they had been denied food, water, medication, and beds during production. Several contestants were hospitalized during the first filming sessions, with over a dozen contestants claiming that various injuries had occurred while participating in the challenges and that many had been seen being removed from the arena on stretchers.[127][128]A spokesperson of Donaldson would blame external factors such asthe global computer systems outage caused by CrowdStrike's update to its software,"extreme weather and other unexpected logistical and communications issues".[129]
Philanthropy
#TeamTrees
On October 25, 2019, Donaldson and formerNASAengineer and YouTuberMark Roberannounced a collaborative fundraising challenge event on YouTube called #TeamTrees. The goal of this project was to raise $20 million for theArbor Day Foundationby January 1, 2020, and plant trees "no later than December 2022". Every donation goes to the Arbor Day Foundation, which pledges to plant one tree for every dollar donated. Notable YouTubers such asRhett & Link,Marshmello,iJustine,Marques Brownlee,The Slow Mo Guys,Ninja,Simone Giertz,Jacksepticeye,andSmarter Every Daybrought attention to the project, and trees began to be planted in October 2019 in US national parks.[130][131]
On December 19 of that year, the $20 million goal was surpassed.[132]The project has received large donations from corporate executivesJack Dorsey,Susan Wojcicki,Elon Musk[133]andTobias Lütke,[134]as well as from companies such asDiscovery,Verizon,andPopCap.[20]Tobias Lütke,founder and CEO ofShopify,holds the record for the highest donation at 1,000,001 trees planted.[135]As of June 5, 2024, the original goal of 20 million trees has been far surpassed, with over 24.7 million trees in the ground.[135]
#TeamSeas
On October 29, 2021, Donaldson and Rober organized another collaborative challenge event on YouTube titled #TeamSeas. The goal of this project was to raise $30million for theOcean ConservancyandThe Ocean Cleanupby January 1, 2022. The $30 million goal would fund the removal of 30 million pounds of plastic and other waste from oceans, rivers, and beaches. Donaldson and Rober enlisted thousands of content creators, including AzzyLand,DanTDM,TommyInnit,LinusTechTips,TierZoo,LEMMiNO, The Infographics Show,Hannah Stocking,Dhar Mann,andMarques Brownlee,and partnered with BEN and TubeBuddy's initiative of eight million global creators, to promote the fundraiser.[136][137][138]
As of June 5, 2024, the original $30million goal has been surpassed by 12–13%, with more than $33.7million raised.[139]
Beast Philanthropy
On September 17, 2020, the YouTube channel Beast Philanthropy was created.[142]On the channel's first video, Donaldson announced the charity and food bank and named Darren Margolias, who had appeared in previous videos, as executive director.[143][144]According to the channel description, 100% of its advertising revenue, brand deals, and merchandise sales are donated to charity.[16][142]
Notable initiatives by Beast Philanthropy include giving away 10,000 turkeys to his hometown of Greenville,[140][141]donating 20,000 shoes to children in Africa,[145]building 100 wells in Africa for villages with limited access to clean water,[146]and gifting $300,000 worth of technology to various schools.[147]
Personal life
Donaldson describes himself as anintrovert.Donaldson admits to having difficulty maintaining a social life due to his obsession with YouTube and his intense work ethic. Donaldson's mother, Sue, attributes his withdrawn lifestyle to their frequent relocations and his struggles withCrohn's disease.[28]
Donaldson dated Maddy Spidell, a YouTuber, from 2019 to 2022. He has been dating Thea Booysen, a gaming streamer, since 2022.[148][149]
In June 2023, after theOceanGatesubmersibleTitanimploded in the Atlantic Oceanwhile on a tourist expedition to view thewreck of theTitanic,killing all five passengers, Donaldson stated that he had been invited on the expedition, but declined the offer.[150][151]
Personal views
In an April 2022 interview withThe Daily Beast,Donaldson announced that he was no longer anevangelical Christianand identified as anagnostic theist.He also stated that he had long disagreed withChristian opposition to homosexuality.He states that during the time he grew up in theBible Belt,he had religion "beat into [his] head every day", and was taught that "gay people are the reason God's going to come and burn this Earth". He has disavowedanti-LGBT rhetoricsince then.[28][152]
In October 2018,The Atlanticpublished an article on Donaldson's history of usinghomophobicslurs.[57][153][29]The article stated that Donaldson, while still a teenager, had had a habit of referring to people as "fags"on Twitter and regularly treated being homosexual as a punchline in-jokes and" gay "as an insult.[153]Donaldson later removed the tweets, and in 2021, a spokesperson for Donaldson said that he had "grown up and matured into someone that doesn't speak like that".[94]
After Ava Kris (then Chris) Tyson, Donaldson's childhood friend and employee, acknowledged in April 2023 that she was receivingfeminizing hormone replacement therapy,Donaldson defended her against backlash she had received: "Yeah, this is getting absurd. Chris isn't my 'nightmare' he's[c]my fucken [sic] friend and things are fine. All this transphobia is starting to piss me off ".[155][154]Tyson subsequently came out as atrans woman.[156][157]
Donaldson considers himselfapoliticalbecause he wants to avoid alienating his audience, which would interfere with his goal of charity.[28]On a podcast in September 2022, Donaldson commented that he would consider a run for president of the United States "in like 20 years", adding that the U.S. is "due for younger presidents".[158][159]On July 6, 2024, during the2024 presidential election,Donaldson wrote on Twitter, "if we lower the age to run for president I'll jump in the race".[160]Donaldson clarified on another Twitter post reiterating his apolitical position.[161][158]
Public image and influence
As of July 2024, MrBeast is themost subscribed channel on YouTube,surpassingT-Series.[162]A February 2021 poll fromInsidershowed that 70% of respondents had a favorable view of him, compared to 12% who had an unfavorable view.[163]His channel appeals strongly to younger viewers.[28][164][165]Donaldson's way of displaying his philanthropy as a form of entertainment builds a very positive public image for him. In particular, Donaldson links audience engagement to charitable acts through statements like "every single time someone subscribes, I will give away ten cents" and "100% of my revenue earned from [Beast Philanthropy] is going to my charity", which allows Donaldson to perform acts of charity and build a large and loyal fanbase.[86][166]Donaldson also builds aparasocial relationshipwith his viewers by "looking directly at the camera and talking to the audience"[165]and displaying himself as "an exciting, relatable, authentic, down-to-earth person".[165][166]
However, some critics have questioned Donaldson's motives and ethics. Users on social media accused Donaldson of exploiting poverty for views, deeming his content "charity porn".[167][168][146]His philanthropy has been criticized for not addressing the root causes of inequity in society.[169]In response, Donaldson claimed that he does not profit from Beast Philanthropy or its videos and that all revenue goes towards charity. He also stressed the importance of the government's role in solving systemic issues.[170][171]
According to Charissa Cheong of Insider, Donaldson becoming the most-subscribed YouTuber marks a shift in YouTube content away from traditional vlogging towards high-production, elaborate videos that create a more "television-like experience". She wrote that "the future of YouTube content will likely look more 'experimental' now that Donaldson's high-stakes challenges are performing so well. Creators are going to keep trying to 'push the boundaries of what is possible' by trying new and 'extreme' formats and genres".[172]Fellow YouTuber and formerNASAengineerMark Roberwrote that Donaldson is "constantly raising the bar for creators whether it's throughre-creatingSquid Gamein real lifeor paying for the eye surgeries of 1,000 blind people ".[173]Donaldson has inspired many young YouTubers.[166][94]His "extreme challenge videos" have influenced other YouTubers likeFidiasandAirrack,who similarly try to attempt difficult challenges in their videos.[174]This trend has been called the "MrBeast-ification of YouTube".[175]
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem | Times Square Bystander | Voice | [176] |
Under the Boardwalk | Hot Sauce Crab | |||
2024 | The Sidemen Story | Himself | Documentary | [177] |
Kung Fu Panda 4 | Panda Pig | Voice | [178] |
Awards and nominations
Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 9th Streamy Awards | Breakout Creator | Won | [179] |
Ensemble Cast | Nominated | |||
Creator of the Year | Nominated | |||
2020 | 12th Annual Shorty Awards | YouTuber of the Year | Won | [180] |
10th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | [181][182] | ||
Live Special | ||||
Social Good: Creator | ||||
Social Good: Nonprofit or NGO | ||||
2021 | 2021 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Social Star | Nominated | [183] |
11th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | [184] | |
2022 | 2022 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Creator | Won | [185] |
12th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | [186][187] | |
Collaboration | Nominated | |||
Social Good: Creator[d] | Won | |||
Creator Product | Nominated | |||
Editing | Nominated | |||
Brand Engagement[d] | Won | |||
Social Impact Campaign[d] | Nominated | |||
2023 | 2023 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Creator | Won | [188] |
13th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | [189] | |
Collaboration | Won | |||
Creator Product | Nominated | |||
Brand Engagement | Nominated | |||
2024 | 2024 Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male Creator | Won | [190] |
Publications
Publication | Year | Category | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Forbes 30 Under 30 | 2021 | Social Media | [191] |
Guinness World Records | 2022 | Largest vegetarian burger | [192] |
Most subscribers for an individual male on YouTube | [193] | ||
2023 | First person to reach 1 million followers onThreads | [194] | |
Highest-earning YouTube contributor (current) | [195] | ||
Most YouTube subscribers gained in one week | [196] | ||
2024 | Most subscribers on YouTube | [197] |
See also
Notes
- ^abSources conflict on the spelling of Donaldson's middle name. One source spell it "Steven,"[5]while others spell it "Stephen."[6][7][8]Donaldson's business filing lists his legal name as "James Stephen Donaldson."[9]In October 2022, one of Donaldson's staff members stated that Donaldson's full name was "James Stephen Donaldson."[10]
- ^Examples of each genre:[86]
- Stunt: "Microwaving a microwave," "I counted to 100,000"
- Junklord: "I built a giant house using only Legos," "I ate $100,000 golden ice cream"
- Giveaway: "Extreme $500,000 game of tag," "Giving a random homeless man $10,000"
- ^At the time of this quote, Tyson was still using the forename Chris and did not have a pronoun preference.[154]
- ^abcAsTeam Seas
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{{cite web}}
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{{cite web}}
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