MrBeast
Who Is MrBeast?
James Stephen “Jimmy” Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is an American YouTuber, media personality, businessman, and philanthropist. He was born on May 7, 1998, in Wichita, Kansas.
Since starting his channel in 2012 at age 13, the North Carolina native has built an audience of more than 479 million people on YouTube alone. Furthermore, in June 2026, MrBeast made YouTube history when his channel surpassed 500 million subscribers.
Behind every viral challenge and million-dollar giveaway is a man with a clear mission. That mission is to entertain the world — and to change it.
Early Life: Wichita to Greenville, and a YouTube Dream
Growing Up in North Carolina
MrBeast’s real name is James Stephen Donaldson. He goes by “Jimmy” in his personal life. He adopted the MrBeast handle from a randomly generated Xbox gamertag when he started his channel at age 13.
Born on May 7, 1998, in Wichita, Kansas, he grew up in Greenville, North Carolina. Greenville is where his passion for content creation truly took root. It is also where he built his early team of closest friends and collaborators.
The Name “MrBeast” Was an Accident
The name “MrBeast” was not a carefully crafted brand identity — it was an accident. When Donaldson created his first YouTube account at 13, he used the gamertag that his Xbox had randomly generated: MrBeast6000. He later shortened it to MrBeast as his channel grew.
That accidental name is now worth billions.
Education: School, Then YouTube Full-Time
MrBeast attended Greenville Christian Academy and later enrolled at Pitt Community College but dropped out. He also briefly attended East Carolina University. He dropped out after just two weeks — choosing YouTube full-time over a traditional education path. It was a gamble. It paid off enormously.
Career: From Counting to 100,000 to 500 Million Subscribers
The First Video and the Long Grind (2012–2016)
At just 13 years old, Jimmy started uploading videos under the name MrBeast6000. Back then, it was mostly gaming clips and silly skits.
The teenager initially posted gaming videos of himself playing Minecraft, Call of Duty, and other titles, as well as clips with commentary about other YouTubers.
His early years were slow. He posted consistently for years without major recognition. However, he never stopped.
The Viral Breakthrough: Counting to 100,000 (2017)
Then came the moment that changed everything.
His channel grew slowly for years before going viral in January 2017 with his “I Counted to 100,000!” video. In reality, the video took him about 40 hours to film. Soon after, the 19-year-old reached more than 1 million subscribers.
It was bizarre. It was bold. It was completely original. Most importantly, it worked.
The Signature Formula: Challenges, Stunts, and Giveaways
From that point forward, MrBeast refined a powerful content formula. Known for filming elaborate stunts, contests, and giveaways, MrBeast has used his earnings to invest in other ventures.
He is credited with pioneering a genre of YouTube videos that centers on expensive stunts. Videos like “I Spent 100 Hours Inside The Pyramids” and “2,000 People Fight For $5,000,000” capture his unique blend of spectacle, generosity, and storytelling.
YouTube Records and Milestones
MrBeast has broken records that once seemed impossible.
- He became the most-subscribed individual creator channel on YouTube.
- He is the second individual creator in history to receive the YouTube Red Diamond Award.
- He has accumulated over 126 billion total YouTube views.
- In May 2025, he became the first YouTuber to surpass 400 million subscribers.
- In June 2026, he surpassed 500 million subscribers — making YouTube history once again.
The Squid Game Recreation (2021)
One video above all others defines the scale of what MrBeast can produce.
His video “$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!” is approaching 1 billion views and was a defining moment for the channel, showing the world what is possible when creators have the space to dream.
It was not just a viral video. It was a production. It was an event. It was a cultural moment.
Beast Games: From YouTube to Prime Video
Season 1 — A Record-Breaking Debut (December 2024)
MrBeast’s ambitions moved beyond YouTube and into mainstream television.
In 2024, Donaldson collaborated with Amazon Prime Video to host and executive produce the reality competition series Beast Games. The show pits 1,000 contestants against each other for a $10 million cash prize. The first season premiered exclusively on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories worldwide on December 19, 2024. Just 25 days after its premiere, Beast Games quickly became Prime Video’s most-watched unscripted series ever, amassing 50 million viewers.
Season 2 — “Strong vs. Smart” (January–February 2026)
The second season of Beast Games premiered on Amazon Prime Video on January 7, 2026. The grand prize was $5 million, with $15 million total in cash and prizes. The season featured a “Strong vs. Smart” theme with 200 contestants. Tyler Lucas won the season, taking home a total of $5,105,000.
Two More Seasons Confirmed
On May 12, 2025, Amazon announced it had renewed Beast Games with Donaldson for two more seasons. Beast Games is no longer just a YouTube format. It is a global television franchise.
Philanthropy: The Heart Behind the Beast
Giving back is not just a side project for MrBeast. It is central to who he is.
Beast Philanthropy Channel
In September 2020, he launched the independent channel “Beast Philanthropy” for charitable endeavors. The spinoff channel gives away its earnings entirely to charitable causes.
#TeamTrees, #TeamSeas, and #TeamWater
MrBeast has led three of the largest creator-driven charity campaigns in history.
To celebrate reaching 20 million subscribers, MrBeast launched the #TeamTrees campaign, raising over $25 million to plant more than 25 million trees. He later launched a follow-up campaign — #TeamSeas — which raised more than $30 million to remove trash from beaches, rivers, and the ocean. In 2025, alongside Mark Rober, MrBeast kicked off their #TeamWater campaign, bringing together YouTube creators from 115 countries to raise a staggering $40 million for WaterAid.
Guinness World Records and Fortune Recognition
He holds a Guinness World Record for the largest donation in a livestream: $500,000.
Donaldson’s philanthropic work has earned him a place on Fortune’s 2025 Change the World list, recognizing companies that combine commercial success with meaningful social impact.
Business Empire: Beyond YouTube
MrBeast has built one of the most impressive creator-led business empires in history.
Feastables (2022)
In January 2022, he launched the snack brand Feastables. Feastables’ chocolate brand generated $10 million in revenue in its first year. Today, Feastables is expanding into beverages and wellness, with internal revenue projections reaching new heights.
MrBeast Burger (2020)
In 2020, he founded the burger company MrBeast Burgers. MrBeast Burger expanded to over 2,000 locations worldwide. The concept proved that a YouTube brand could translate into a tangible food business at massive scale.
Lunchly
He co-created Lunchly, a packaged snack kit brand, along with Logan Paul and KSI. It is marketed as a healthier alternative to Lunchables, pairing Prime drinks and Feastables products.
Step — Fintech Expansion (2026)
In February 2026, MrBeast acquired Step, a Gen Z banking app with over 7 million users. The acquisition signals his intention to build a meaningful fintech business targeting the same young audience that watches his videos.
Viewstats
He also runs Viewstats, a YouTube analytics platform that helps creators track and optimize channel performance — adding a software revenue layer to his growing portfolio.
Revenue and Net Worth
Forbes named him the highest-paid creator, with earnings of around $85 million in one recent year. Yet he keeps less than a million dollars for personal use and pours almost everything back into new projects.
Internal projections target total revenue of $1.6 billion in 2026 — nearly double 2025’s estimated $899 million.
He became a billionaire at age 26, one of the youngest self-made billionaires in history.
YouTube Channels: A Full Network
MrBeast does not run just one channel. He runs an entire network.
| Channel Name | Focus |
|---|---|
| MrBeast (Main) | Challenges, stunts, giveaways |
| MrBeast Gaming | Gaming content |
| Beast Philanthropy | 100% charitable content |
| MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts) | Short-form content |
| Beast Reacts (inactive 2026) | Reaction content |
Love Story: MrBeast and Thea Booysen
How They Met — South Africa, 2022
MrBeast first met Thea Booysen, a South African gamer and internet personality, in 2022 during a trip to her home country.
Their connection was instant. In an interview on the Lex Fridman Podcast, he praised Booysen for helping him become a better person. “I struggle to turn off my brain at night,” he said. “But just chatting with her and hanging out with her helps me, basically, just shut my brain off and mellow out.”
The Christmas Proposal (December 2024)
MrBeast popped the question on Christmas Day 2024 while he and Booysen opened gifts with their families.
He intentionally dropped a large box to make noise before presenting the real gift — with the ring inside. Then he went down on a knee and proposed. Booysen described the moment as “perfect” and said she “of course said yes.”
MrBeast revealed the engagement with a simple Instagram caption: “Ya boy did a thing,” alongside a photo of him kneeling mid-proposal.
The Wedding: Richard Branson’s Necker Island (July 2026)
MrBeast, a.k.a. Jimmy Donaldson, married fellow content creator Thea Booysen in an intimate 70-guest ceremony on Richard Branson’s Necker Island. The wedding was preceded by a week of festivities beginning July 14, which included kitesurfing, snorkeling, and feeding the island’s wildlife.
For the ceremony, Booysen wore a lacy Nicole + Felicia Couture gown, while MrBeast wore a cream and black tuxedo from Ralph Lauren.
Their first dance was to the Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars song “Die With a Smile.” The reception menu featured sushi, Wagyu beef, and fish.
The bride revealed in an interview, “This is cliché, but it was heaven.”
The 28-year-old called it the “best day of my life.”
About Thea Booysen
Thea Booysen is 28 years old. She graduated with a master’s degree in human cognitive neuropsychology from the University of Edinburgh. She also has a bachelor’s degree in law and an honours degree in psychology. She is a South African gaming streamer and content creator with a loyal following of her own.
Awards and Recognition
Jimmy Donaldson won the Creator of the Year award three times at the Streamy Awards — in 2020, 2021, and 2022. He also won the Favourite Male Creator award at the 2022 Kids’ Choice Awards.
He was named Forbes’ Top Creator and highest-paid YouTuber from 2022 to 2024.
He holds the Guinness World Record for the largest donation in a livestream: $500,000.
Additionally, he is the second individual creator in history to receive the YouTube Red Diamond Award.
Personal Life: Grounded, Private, and Passionate
Despite his enormous fame, Jimmy Donaldson remains remarkably humble. He lives modestly and pours almost everything back into new projects.
He said: “It’s just like my whole life is on the internet. I mean, I film 28 days a month. I’m always in front of a camera, and so, for the most part, my relationship is one of those things I just keep behind the camera.”
He has kept his personal relationships deliberately private. His wedding was intimate. His proposal was a family moment. For someone who reaches half a billion people, Jimmy Donaldson remains a deeply private man at heart.
