- MrBeast, the renowned YouTuber, undertook the impressive endeavor of drilling 52 boreholes in Kenya and an additional 100 across Africa.
- While the borehole initiative showcases his commitment to philanthropy, MrBeast’s most remarkable contributions include funding over 1,000 eye surgeries for those in need
- He shuttered the Guinness world record for most followed person on YouTube
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Personal information
James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson (born May 7, 1998), known professionally as MrBeast, is an American YouTuber, credited with pioneering a genre of YouTube videos that centers on expensive stunts and challenges, and giving away money.
With over 207 million subscribers, he is the most-subscribed individual on the platform and the second-most-subscribed channel overall, and has ranked on the Forbes list for the highest paid YouTube creator in 2022.
Donaldson grew up in Greenville, North Carolina. He began posting videos to YouTube in early 2012, at the age of 13, under the handle MrBeast6000.
His early content ranged from Let’s Plays to “videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers”.
He went viral in 2017 after his “counting to 100,000” video earned tens of thousands of views in just a few days, and he has become increasingly popular ever since, with most of his videos gaining tens of millions of views.
His videos, typically involving challenges and giveaways, became increasingly grand and extravagant.
Once his channel took off, Donaldson hired some of his childhood friends to co-run the brand.
As of 2023, the MrBeast team is made up of over 250 people, including Donaldson himself.
Other than MrBeast, Donaldson runs the YouTube channels Beast Reacts, MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts) and the philanthropy channel Beast Philanthropy.
He formerly ran MrBeast 3 (initially MrBeast 2), which is now inactive.
As of 2023, he is the highest paid YouTuber,[26] and has an estimated net worth of $500 million.
Donaldson is the founder of MrBeast Burger and Feastables; and a co-creator of Team Trees, a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation that has raised over $23 million; and Team Seas, a fundraiser for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup that has raised over $30 million.
Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award four times at the Streamy Awards in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023; he also won the Favorite Male Creator award twice at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, Time named him as one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
Early life
James Stephen Donaldson was born on May 7, 1998 in Wichita, Kansas. He was mainly raised in Greenville, North Carolina with his brother.
He moved often and was under the care of au pairs due to his parents working long hours and serving in the military.
His parents divorced in 2007. In 2016, Donaldson graduated from Greenville Christian Academy, a small private evangelical Christian high school in the area.
He briefly attended East Carolina University before dropping out.
YouTube Career
Jimmy Donaldson, known as “MrBeast,” began his YouTube career in 2012 with early content including Let’s Plays and videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers.
He gained popularity in 2017 with stunts like counting to 100,000 and unconventional challenges.
By 2018, he had earned a reputation as YouTube’s biggest philanthropist, giving away $1 million through his stunts.
In 2018, during the PewDiePie vs. T-Series rivalry, he supported PewDiePie’s quest to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube through billboards and ads.
In 2019, he organized a real-life battle royale competition with a $200,000 prize.
Donaldson faced controversy in 2019 over a video involving fake money but explained it was for participant safety.
In 2020, he hosted influencer tournaments with significant prizes and broke viewership records.
In 2021, he released a YouTube Rewind video and signed distribution deals with Facebook and Snapchat.
In 2021, he created a real-life version of the show Squid Game with a large cash prize, gaining millions of views.
In 2022, Donaldson achieved milestones, surpassing 100 million subscribers and setting a Guinness World Record for “Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube.”
He continues to dominate YouTube with over 200 million subscribers as of October 2023. His success is marked by philanthropy, unique challenges, and record-breaking achievements.
Philanthropic Acts
Jimmy Donaldson, known as “MrBeast,” has been actively involved in philanthropic efforts through various initiatives:
Team Trees: In collaboration with Mark Rober, Donaldson launched #TeamTrees in October 2019. The project aimed to raise $20 million for the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees. Many notable YouTubers and corporate executives, including Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey, supported this cause. The $20 million goal was surpassed, and as of February 2023, over 24.3 million trees have been planted.
Beast Philanthropy: In September 2020, Beast Philanthropy was created as a YouTube channel dedicated to charity. Donaldson pledged to donate 100% of advertising revenue, brand deals, and merchandise sales to charity. Initiatives by Beast Philanthropy include giving away turkeys, donating shoes to children in Africa, and providing technology to schools.
Team Seas: In October 2021, Donaldson and Mark Rober organized #TeamSeas, aiming to raise $30 million for the Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup. The goal was to remove 30 million pounds of plastic and waste from oceans, rivers, and beaches. Numerous content creators and organizations participated in this initiative.
Cataract Surgery: In January 2023, Donaldson sponsored cataract surgery for a thousand individuals with limited vision who couldn’t afford the procedure. This effort received mixed reactions, with some praising the intention to spread awareness and criticism regarding the state of the American healthcare system.
MrBeast’s philanthropic endeavors have made a significant impact on various social and environmental causes, demonstrating his commitment to making a positive difference in the world.
Public image
Opinion polls have shown that Donaldson is one of the most well-liked YouTubers on the platform.
A 2021 SurveyMonkey poll showed that 70% of respondents have a favorable view of him, compared to 12% who had an unfavorable view.
In 2023, Time listed him on their Time 100 list; fellow YouTuber and former NASA engineer Mark Rober wrote on his entry: “He’s constantly raising the bar for creators whether it’s through re-creating Squid Game in real life or paying for the eye surgeries of 1,000 blind people. He doesn’t really understand small thinking or complacency. I don’t know what he’ll do 10 years down the road, but I know it won’t be status quo.”
In 2023, CBC News noted that MrBeast’s “viral videos have stoked a wide range of reaction, from acclaim for their altruism to controversy for perceived exploitation.”
In October 2018, The Atlantic published an article on Donaldson’s history of using homophobic slurs. 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.
Donaldson later removed the tweets, and in 2021, a spokesperson for Donaldson said that the YouTuber had “grown up and matured into someone that doesn’t speak like that”.
In 2023, Donaldson’s childhood friend and employee, Kris (formerly Chris) Tyson, came out as transgender. When a critic tweeted that her transition would be a “nightmare” for the influencer, Donaldson replied, “Yeah, this is getting absurd. Chris isn’t my ‘nightmare’ he’s my friend and things are fine. All this transphobia is starting to piss me off.”
During a Clubhouse room 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 who argued against Sarmad’s claims, claiming that Donaldson removed him along with others to make room for women to be more inclusive.
Awards
2019
At the 2019 Streamy Awards, he secured multiple victories, winning Breakout Creator, Ensemble Cast, and receiving a nomination for Creator of the Year.
In the 12th Annual Shorty Awards, he was nominated as YouTuber of the Year and triumphed in the Creator of the Year and Live Special categories during the 10th Streamy Awards.
He also received recognition in the Social Good categories, winning both Social Good: Creator and Social Good: Nonprofit or NGO awards.
2021
At the 2021 Kids’ Choice Awards, MrBeast was nominated for Favorite Male Social Star.
In the 11th Streamy Awards, he excelled, earning the prestigious title of Creator of the Year.
2022
At the 2022 Kids’ Choice Awards, he won the title of Favorite Male Creator.
During the 12th Streamy Awards, he was named Creator of the Year, won the Collaboration award, and secured recognition in categories like Brand Engagement, Social Impact Campaign, and Creator Product.
2023
In the 2023 Kids’ Choice Awards, he continued to be a fan favorite, winning the title of Favorite Male Creator.
At the 13th Streamy Awards, he once again proved his dominance in the digital sphere, winning Creator of the Year and Collaboration awards. He also received nominations in Creator Product and Brand Engagement categories.
MrBeast’s consistent recognition and numerous awards underline his significant impact in the world of online content creation, social good, and brand engagement.
