James Stephen Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, was born on May 7, 1998.
He is an American YouTuber, online personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.
MrBeast is recognized for his dynamic and well-produced videos that showcase intricate challenges and generous giveaways.
Boasting more than 249 million subscribers, he holds the title of the most-subscribed individual on YouTube and the second-most-subscribed channel in general.
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James Stephen Donaldson
May 7, 1998 Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
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| Origin | Greenville, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Education | Greenville Christian Academy | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Website | mrbeast |
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| Years active | 2012–present | ||||||||||||||||||
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Donaldson was raised in Greenville, North Carolina. He commenced uploading videos on YouTube in early 2012, when he was just 13 years old, using the alias MrBeast6000.
His early content varied from Let’s Plays to “videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers”. In 2017, he went viral after his “counting to 100,000” video garnered tens of thousands of views in a matter of days.
Since then, he has gained increasing popularity, with most of his videos amassing tens of millions of views. His videos have become more elaborate and extravagant over time.
Once his channel gained traction, Donaldson brought on board some of his childhood friends to help manage the brand.
By 2023, the MrBeast team consists of over 250 individuals, including Donaldson himself.
Apart from MrBeast, Donaldson oversees the YouTube channels Beast Reacts, MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts), and the philanthropy channel Beast Philanthropy.
He previously managed MrBeast 3 (initially MrBeast 2), which is now inactive.
Donaldson is the creator of MrBeast Burger, Feastables, and a co-creator of Team Trees, a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation that has raised over $23 million for its initiatives.
He is also a co-founder of Team Seas, a fundraiser for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup that has raised over $30 million.
Donaldson has been awarded the Creator of the Year title four years in a row at the Streamy Awards in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Additionally, he has won the Favorite Male Creator award twice at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2022 and 2023.
In 2023, Time magazine recognized him as one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
He has been featured on the Forbes list as the highest paid YouTube creator in 2022 and is estimated to have a net worth of $500 million.
Early Life
James Stephen Donaldson was born on May 7, 1998 in Wichita, Kansas as the son of Sue Donaldson.
He spent most of his childhood in Greenville, North Carolina. Due to his parents’ demanding work schedules and military service, he frequently moved and was taken care of by au pairs.
In 2007, his parents went through a divorce.
Donaldson completed his high school education at Greenville Christian Academy, a small private evangelical Christian school in the area, graduating in 2016.
He briefly attended East Carolina University before deciding to drop out.
Following his departure from university, Donaldson and his friends embarked on a mission to analyze YouTube’s recommendation algorithm and uncover the secrets to creating viral videos.
During this period, he became consumed with studying virality and the workings of the YouTube algorithm.
He would start his day by ordering food through Uber Eats and then spend hours on his computer, immersing himself in research alongside fellow YouTubers.
YouTube Career
Donaldson’s initial foray into YouTube began in February 2012 when he uploaded his first video at the age of 13.
He adopted the moniker “MrBeast6000” for his channel. Initially, his content revolved around Let’s Plays, with a particular focus on Minecraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
Additionally, he created videos that estimated the wealth of fellow YouTubers, offered advice to aspiring creators, and provided commentary on YouTube drama.
However, Donaldson made infrequent appearances in these early videos.
It was in 2015 and 2016 that Donaldson started gaining traction with his “Worst Intros on YouTube” series, where he humorously critiqued video introductions on the platform.
By mid-2016, his subscriber count had reached approximately 30,000. In the fall of that year, Donaldson made the decision to drop out of East Carolina University and pursue a full-time career as a YouTuber.
However, his mother disapproved of this choice and insisted that he move out of their family home.
As Donaldson’s channel continued to grow, he enlisted the help of four childhood friends – Ava “Kris” Tyson (born Chris Tyson), Chandler Hallow, Garrett Ronalds, and Jake Franklin – to contribute to his content.
In 2020, Franklin departed from the group, and Karl Jacobs, who had previously served as a cameraman, was promoted to fill the vacancy.
In January 2017, Jimmy Donaldson achieved a breakthrough with a nearly day-long video in which he counted to 100,000.
This video propelled him to newfound popularity. The entire endeavor took him 40 hours, with certain portions sped up to ensure it remained within a 24-hour timeframe.
During this period, Donaldson garnered attention for his daring stunts, such as attempting to break glass using a hundred megaphones, watching paint dry for an hour, and endeavoring to stay submerged underwater for 24 hours (although he was unable to complete this due to health issues).
He also made an unsuccessful attempt to spin a fidget spinner for an entire day.
By 2018, Donaldson had given away a staggering $1 million through his extravagant stunts, earning him the distinction of being dubbed “YouTube’s biggest philanthropist.”
In 2018, during the intense rivalry between PewDiePie and T-Series to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, Donaldson took strategic measures to support PewDiePie’s subscriber count.
He invested in billboards, as well as television and radio advertisements, to help PewDiePie surpass T-Series in terms of subscribers.
Additionally, during Super Bowl LIII, Donaldson purchased multiple seats for himself and his team, who wore shirts spelling out “Sub 2 PewDiePie.”
Moving on to March 2019, Donaldson organized and filmed a real-life battle royale competition in Los Angeles.
The competition had a substantial prize of $200,000, with two games played, resulting in $100,000 earnings for each game.
This event was a collaboration with Apex Legends and was sponsored by Electronic Arts, the publisher of Apex Legends.
However, Donaldson faced accusations in November 2019 when he released a video titled “I Opened A FREE BANK,” in which he was accused of using counterfeit money.
He later clarified that the fake money was used to ensure participant safety and that the participants received genuine checks after the shoot.
In April 2020, Donaldson organized a highly popular rock, paper, scissors competition stream. This event featured 32 influencers and offered a grand prize of $250,000.
It became YouTube’s most-watched live Original event at that time, with an impressive 662,000 concurrent viewers. The competition was ultimately won by Nadeshot.
Continuing on to October 2020, Donaldson hosted another influencer tournament, this time focusing on trivia.
The tournament included 24 competitors and had a grand prize of $300,000. The winners of this tournament were siblings Charli and Dixie D’Amelio.
However, their victory sparked controversy as some claimed that they had cheated during the competition.
On January 1, 2021, Donaldson released the video “YouTube Rewind 2020, Thank God It’s Over”.
In the video, he expressed his belief that YouTubers should have more input in Rewind, leading him to reach out to hundreds of YouTubers.
At the conclusion of the video, Donaldson gave a special mention to PewDiePie, crediting him and his 2018 Rewind as the inspiration for Donaldson’s own version.
A month later, Donaldson secured a content distribution deal with Jellysmack on Facebook and Snapchat.
In February 2021, during a Clubhouse room session, Donaldson removed entrepreneur Farokh Sarmad from the call after Sarmad claimed he couldn’t pronounce his name, which Sarmad later labeled as racist.
Other Clubhouse users present at the time disputed Sarmad’s allegations, suggesting that Donaldson’s actions were aimed at creating a more inclusive space for women.
In November 2021, Donaldson uploaded “$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!”, a real-life adaptation of the popular streaming series Squid Game, where 456 participants competed for a cash prize of $456,000.
The video quickly became one of the most-viewed YouTube videos of the year, amassing over 130 million views within a week.
Despite criticism for missing the anti-capitalist message of Squid Game, the series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk responded positively to the recreations and parodies.
In December 2021, Donaldson organized a third influencer tournament with 15 participants vying for a grand prize of $1,000,000.
In January 2022, Forbes recognized Donaldson as YouTube’s top-earning creator, estimating his earnings at $54 million in 2021.
Forbes noted that his income for the year would have placed him 40th in the 2020 Forbes Celebrity 100 list, earning as much as Vin Diesel and Lewis Hamilton did in 2020.
On July 28, 2022, Donaldson reached a significant milestone by surpassing 100 million subscribers on his primary channel.
This achievement placed him as the fifth channel and the second individual YouTuber to accomplish such a feat.
Later, on November 17, 2022, Donaldson secured the Guinness World Record for “Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube” with his MrBeast channel, which had amassed an impressive 112,193,139 subscribers.
This record-breaking achievement surpassed the previous record holder, PewDiePie, who had held the title of the most subscribed YouTuber for nearly a decade.
In November 2022, Donaldson’s main YouTube channel also reached the remarkable milestone of one billion video views within a span of 30 days. Continuing his success, on October 15th, 2023, Donaldson’s subscriber count soared to an impressive 200 million.
Among his vast collection of videos, the YouTube Shorts video titled “Would You Fly To Paris For A Baguette?” stands out as the most-watched video on his main YouTube channel.
As of January 2024, this video has garnered over 1 billion views and received 40 million likes.
YouTube Content
Donaldson’s early content primarily consisted of Let’s Plays, “best and worst” videos, and YouTube commentary.
However, his present-day videos are now categorized into three different genres.
The first genre includes stunt videos, where Donaldson or other participants take on interesting, challenging, or even dangerous challenges.
The second genre is known as “junklord” videos, where Donaldson showcases his unique ability to use a large quantity of a particular product in an unusual way or spends an extravagant amount on it.
Lastly, Donaldson also creates giveaway videos, where he generously gives away large amounts of money or extravagant prizes to people, often incorporating a competitive aspect.
These giveaway videos have become a distinctive feature of Donaldson’s content.
In order to make his videos go viral, Donaldson strategically utilizes YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.
He focuses on maximizing the click-through rate and viewer retention. To achieve a high click-through rate, he pays close attention to creating effective topics, titles, and thumbnails.
In an interview with Lex Fridman, Donaldson emphasized the importance of originality and creativity in his viral videos.
He believes that his content should be something that people truly need to see and ideally, something that has never been done before.
His titles are carefully crafted to grab attention by promising outrageous stunts and incorporating keywords like “24-hours” and “challenge.”
Additionally, his thumbnails are designed to be visually appealing, easily understandable, and brightly colored.
To ensure viewer retention, Donaldson carefully paces his videos to keep viewers engaged throughout.
His videos typically range from 10 to 20 minutes in length.
He captivates viewers by providing a brief explanation of the video’s premise within the first 30 seconds, and he promises an exciting “finale” to maintain viewer interest until the very end.
Donaldson’s videos are primarily funded through sponsorships and Google’s AdSense program.
In 2022, it was reported that he spends approximately $1 million on each video.
Despite the fact that his videos don’t often generate profits, Donaldson’s main focus is on expanding his YouTube channel rather than making money.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, he expressed his desire to push boundaries and create larger-scale videos, even if they are more expensive to produce.
Sponsorships contribute significantly to his funding.
Additionally, Donaldson utilizes his reaction channel and gaming channel to financially support his main channel, as these videos are relatively inexpensive to create and generate a substantial amount of revenue.
The Verge highlighted the self-perpetuating nature of his earnings, as his increasing popularity attracts more brand collaborations and boosts his AdSense earnings, allowing him to create even more extravagant giveaway videos.
Donaldson also earns passive income through merchandise, MrBeast Burger, and Feastables.
As of 2023, Donaldson has a workforce of over 250 individuals, including writers, editors, and producers.
Many of these employees are personally acquainted with Donaldson, such as friends and family members.
However, some former employees have come forward with allegations of a challenging work environment.
In a New York Times article from May 2021, Matt Turner, an editor who worked for Donaldson from February 2018 to September 2019, claimed that he was subjected to daily berating and derogatory language, including being called a “retard.”
Turner also stated that he was frequently not given credit for his work. Insider’s investigation revealed that Turner had previously shared his allegations in a 2018 video and later released a deleted Twitter thread in October 2019, detailing the mistreatment he endured, including being yelled at, bullied, and constantly reminded of his replaceability by Donaldson.
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.
Donaldson disputes these claims, stating: “We have high standards, but it’s not a toxic work environment.”
Donaldson also claims that he gave Turner $10,000 and suggested a job at another company to him at the end of his contract.
In Other Ventures
In June of 2020, Donaldson, in partnership with Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF, launched a unique multiplayer mobile game called Finger on the App.
Participants were required to keep their finger on the phone screen, with the last person to remove their finger winning $25,000.
Ultimately, four individuals each won $20,000 after successfully keeping their finger on the app for over 70 hours.
Due to the overwhelming success of the game, a sequel named Finger on the App 2 was initially set to debut in December 2020.
However, the launch was postponed to February and then further delayed to March 2021 due to a surge in downloads that caused the game to crash, prompting the developers to upgrade their servers.
The sequel offered a grand prize of $100,000, with the winner managing to keep their finger on the phone screen for approximately 51 hours. The runner-up also received a prize of $20,000.
Will Hyde, a producer for the MrBeast channel, revealed in a November 2020 article with The Wake Weekly that Donaldson would introduce a virtual restaurant named MrBeast Burger in December 2020.
Hyde mentioned that his team collaborated with Virtual Dining Concepts during the restaurant’s development.
MrBeast Burger would offer franchise rights to restaurants nationwide to serve the burgers, which customers could order through online delivery services.
In August 2022, Donaldson announced plans to open a MrBeast Burger establishment at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City, marking his first U.S. restaurant location.
The restaurant officially opened its doors on September 4, 2022.
On June 17, 2023, Donaldson announced his intention to close down MrBeast Burger due to concerns about quality assurance, expressing regret over the deal made with Virtual Dining Concepts, LLC, which he described as “poor.”
Despite his wishes, Donaldson stated that the company was unwilling to allow him to cease operations, despite the negative impact on his brand.
On July 31, 2023, Donaldson filed a lawsuit against Virtual Dining Concepts in an effort to terminate their partnership, alleging that the company had tarnished his reputation by prioritizing the expansion of the MrBeast Burger brand over maintaining food quality.
Donaldson also claimed that he had not received any payment from the partnership.
Virtual Dining Concepts refuted these allegations, asserting that Donaldson had benefited from the MrBeast Burger brand and accused him of pursuing a new deal for personal gain, resorting to “bullying” tactics when his proposal was rejected.
In January 2022, Donaldson revealed the establishment of a new food venture named Feastables, which introduced its own line of chocolate bars called “MrBeast Bars.”
The launch featured three flavors: original, almond, and quinoa crunch.
To coincide with the launch, a sweepstakes was held with prizes exceeding $1 million, including ten grand prize winners who would have the opportunity to compete for ownership of a chocolate factory in a future video, inspired by the story of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The video, released in June 2022, showcased a series of elimination challenges where the victor could choose between the chocolate factory or a $500,000 cash prize.
Renowned Michelin Star chef Gordon Ramsay served as a judge in the final challenge, determining the recipient of the cash prize.
Reportedly, Feastables generated $10 million within its initial months of operation.
On March 3, 2023, Donaldson took to Twitter to request fans to enhance the presentation of Feastables displays on store shelves, proposing that they conceal rival products.
In exchange for their assistance, Feastables offered fans the chance to enter a $5,000 raffle upon providing evidence of their efforts.
These tweets were met with criticism and accusations that Feastables was exploiting fans for unpaid labor.
Investments and Collaborations
Donaldson, an investor in the tech startup Backbone, is involved with the production of the Backbone One, a controller that enhances the gaming experience on smartphones, making them more akin to Nintendo Switch controllers. Additionally, he is associated with the Backbone app, which offers content creation and social tools for its users.
In March 2021, Donaldson joined forces with Creative Juice financial network to establish Juice Funds, a $2 million investment fund specifically designed for content creators.
During April 2021, Donaldson extended his investment portfolio by becoming a long-term investor and partner of Current, a financial technology company. However, this move was met with criticism when fans suffered significant financial losses due to a cryptocurrency scheme that Donaldson had endorsed.
In November 2022, Donaldson collaborated with East Carolina University to develop a course centered around YouTube content creation, showcasing his commitment to sharing knowledge and expertise in this field.
In May 2023, Donaldson took on the role of a judge on Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars show, further expanding his presence in the entertainment industry.
FAST Channel
In 2023, a free ad-supported streaming television network called Mr. Beast was launched on the Roku Channel service. This network exclusively features previously released MrBeast YouTube videos, providing viewers with a unique viewing experience.
Personal Life
Donaldson characterizes himself as an introvert. He acknowledges that his preoccupation with YouTube and his strong work ethic have made it challenging for him to maintain a social life.
His mother, Sue, attributes his withdrawn lifestyle to their frequent moves and his struggles with Crohn’s disease.
From 2019 to 2022, Donaldson was in a relationship with Maddy Spidell, a fellow YouTuber. However, since 2022, he has been dating Thea Booysen, a gaming streamer.
In June 2023, Donaldson revealed that he had been invited to join a tourist expedition to observe the wreckage of the Titanic in the OceanGate submersible Titan.
However, he declined the offer. Unfortunately, the submersible later suffered an implosion in the Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the loss of all five individuals on board.
Regarding his personal beliefs, in an interview with The Daily Beast in April 2022, Donaldson disclosed that he no longer identifies as an evangelical Christian and now considers himself agnostic.
He expressed his disagreement with Christian opposition to homosexuality, a viewpoint he has held for a long time.
Donaldson shared that growing up in the Bible Belt, he was constantly exposed to religious teachings that condemned homosexuality.
However, he has since distanced himself from anti-LGBT rhetoric.
In October 2018, The Atlantic published an article highlighting Donaldson’s past use of homophobic slurs.
The article noted that during his teenage years, he frequently used derogatory language towards the LGBTQ+ community on Twitter, treating homosexuality as a punchline and using “gay” as an insult.
Donaldson later deleted these tweets, and in 2021, a spokesperson for him stated that he had matured and no longer spoke in such a manner.
After Kris (then Chris) Tyson, Donaldson’s childhood friend and employee, publicly disclosed in April 2023 that she was undergoing feminizing hormone replacement therapy, Donaldson stood up for her amidst the criticism she faced: “This is becoming ridiculous.
Chris is not my ‘nightmare,’ he’s my dear friend and everything is going well. The transphobia being displayed is truly starting to anger me.” Tyson later came out as a trans woman.
Donaldson claims to be apolitical as he aims to prevent alienating his audience, which could hinder his charitable objectives.
During a podcast in September 2022, Donaldson mentioned that he might contemplate running for president of the United States “in about 20 years,” emphasizing that the country is “in need of younger leaders.”
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | |
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| 2019 | 9th Streamy Awards | Breakout Creator | Won | |
| Ensemble Cast | Nominated | |||
| Creator of the Year | Nominated | |||
| 2020 | 12th Annual Shorty Awards | YouTuber of the Year | Won | |
| 10th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | ||
| Live Special | Won | |||
| Social Good: Creator | Won | |||
| Social Good: Nonprofit or NGO | Won | |||
| 2021 | 2021 Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Male Social Star | Nominated | |
| 11th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | ||
| Forbes 30 Under 30 | Social Media | Included | ||
| 2022 | 2022 Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Male Creator | Won | |
| 12th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | ||
| Collaboration | Nominated | |||
| Social Good: Creator | Won | |||
| Creator Product | Nominated | |||
| Editing | Nominated | |||
| Brand Engagement | Won | |||
| Social Impact Campaign | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | 2023 Kids’ Choice Awards | Favorite Male Creator | Won | |
| 13th Streamy Awards | Creator of the Year | Won | ||
| Collaboration | Won | |||
| Creator Product | Nominated | |||
| Brand Engagement | Nominated |
World records
| Publication | Year | World record | Record holder | |
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| Guinness World Records | 2021 | Highest-earning YouTube contributor (current) | MrBeast | |
| Guinness World Records | 2022 | Largest vegetarian burger | MrBeast | |
| Guinness World Records | 2022 | Most subscribers for an individual male on YouTube | Jimmy Donaldson | |
| Guinness World Records | 2023 | First person to reach 1 million followers on Threads | MrBeast |
Net Worth
MrBeast net worth is estimated to be $700 million in a year, according to various sources.
