MrBeast facts for kids

Quick facts for kids MrBeast
MrBeast in 2023
Born	James Stephen Donaldson (1998-05-07) May 7, 1998 (age 27) Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Other names	Jimmy Donaldson MrBeast6000
Education	Greenville Christian Academy
Alma mater	East Carolina University (dropped out)
Occupation	YouTuber businessman media personality philanthropist
Years active	2012–present
Partner(s)	Thea Booysen (2022–present; engaged)
YouTube information
Subscribers	413 million
Total views	90 billion
Associated acts	Karl Jacobs PewDiePie Marques Brownlee Jay Leno Mark Rober Gordon Ramsay Airrack
Subscriber and view counts updated as of July 14, 2025.
Signature

James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson (born May 7, 1998), known as MrBeast, is a famous American YouTuber and businessman. His YouTube videos are known for their exciting challenges and generous acts of kindness. He often gives away large amounts of money or prizes. His videos are fast-paced and have amazing production quality.

MrBeast has over 413 million subscribers, making his channel the most subscribed on YouTube. He is also very popular on TikTok, with over 115 million followers.

Jimmy Donaldson grew up in Greenville, North Carolina. He started making YouTube videos in 2012. His early videos included gaming and talking about other YouTubers. He became super popular in 2017 after a video where he counted to 100,000. Since then, his videos have become bigger and more amazing.

He has also started several businesses, like MrBeast Burger and Feastables. He helped create Team Trees and Team Seas, which are big projects that raise money to plant trees and clean up oceans. He also has a charity channel called Beast Philanthropy.

MrBeast has won many awards, including Creator of the Year at the Streamy Awards multiple times. Time magazine named him one of the world's most influential people in 2023. He was also the highest-paid YouTube creator in 2024, according to Forbes.

Early Life and Education

James Stephen Donaldson was born in Wichita, Kansas, on May 7, 1998. He spent most of his childhood in Greenville, North Carolina. His parents worked long hours, so he was often cared for by others.

In 2016, Jimmy graduated from Greenville Christian Academy. He went to East Carolina University for a short time but decided to leave to focus on YouTube. After leaving college, he and his friends spent a lot of time studying how YouTube videos become popular. He was very dedicated to understanding how to make videos go viral.

MrBeast's YouTube Journey

Starting Out on YouTube (2012–2017)

Current members of the MrBeast crew. From left to right: Karl Jacobs, Nolan Hansen, and Chandler Hallow

Jimmy uploaded his first YouTube video in February 2012 when he was 13. His channel was called "MrBeast6000." His early videos included playing games like Minecraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. He also made videos about other YouTubers and gave tips for new creators.

By mid-2016, he had about 30,000 subscribers. He decided to become a full-time YouTuber. As his channel grew, he hired childhood friends like Ava Kris Tyson, Chandler Hallow, and Nolan Hansen to help him.

Becoming Famous (2017–2020)

MrBeast in 2018

In January 2017, MrBeast posted a video of himself counting to 100,000. This video became very popular and helped him gain many new viewers. He became known for his amazing stunts, like trying to break glass with 100 megaphones or watching paint dry for an hour. By 2018, he had given away $1 million through his videos. This earned him the nickname "YouTube's biggest philanthropist."

During a competition between YouTubers PewDiePie and T-Series, MrBeast helped PewDiePie gain more subscribers. He even bought billboards and ads to support him.

In 2019, he held a real-life battle royale competition in Los Angeles with $200,000 in prizes. In 2020, he hosted a rock, paper, scissors competition with 32 influencers and a $250,000 prize. He also hosted a trivia tournament with a $300,000 prize.

Huge Success (2021–Present)

MrBeast at the 2023 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards

In November 2021, MrBeast uploaded a video called "$456,000 Squid Game in Real Life!" This video recreated the popular TV show Squid Game with 456 people competing for a $456,000 prize. It quickly became one of the most-watched YouTube videos of 2021.

In January 2022, Forbes magazine said MrBeast was YouTube's highest-earning creator, making an estimated $54 million in 2021.

On July 28, 2022, his main channel reached 100 million subscribers. On November 17, 2022, he earned a Guinness World Record for "Most Subscribers for an Individual Male on YouTube." He passed PewDiePie, who had held the record for almost ten years.

On June 2, 2024, MrBeast's channel became the most subscribed channel on YouTube, passing T-Series. On July 10, 2024, he became the first YouTuber to reach 300 million subscribers. His video "50 YouTubers Fight for $1,000,000" was released on July 13, 2024, to celebrate this milestone. It featured guests like Howie Mandel and Miranda Cosgrove. On June 1, 2025, MrBeast became the first YouTuber to reach 400 million subscribers.

How MrBeast Makes Videos

MrBeast's videos often fall into three types:

• Stunt videos: Where he or others do interesting or challenging tasks.
• "Junklord" videos: Where he uses a lot of one product in a unique way or spends a huge amount of money on something.
• Giveaway videos: Where he gives away large sums of money or amazing prizes, often with a competition.

He designs his videos to be very engaging. He makes sure the titles and thumbnails grab attention. He also keeps the videos fast-paced to keep viewers watching until the end.

MrBeast gets money for his videos from sponsorships and YouTube's ad program. He reportedly spends about $1 million on each video. He uses money from his other channels, like his reaction and gaming channels, to help fund his main channel's big projects. He also earns money from his merchandise, MrBeast Burger, and Feastables.

As of 2023, MrBeast employs over 250 people, including writers, editors, and producers. Many of his employees are friends and family.

MrBeast's Businesses

Finger on the App

In June 2020, MrBeast released a mobile game called Finger on the App. Players had to keep their finger on their phone screen, and the last person to remove it won money. Four people won $20,000 each in the first game. A second game was released in March 2021 with a $100,000 prize.

MrBeast Burger

The first physical MrBeast Burger restaurant in New Jersey

In December 2020, MrBeast launched MrBeast Burger, a virtual restaurant. This means you could order his burgers online for delivery from many different restaurants. The restaurant has grown to over 2,000 locations worldwide. The first physical MrBeast Burger restaurant opened in New Jersey in September 2022.

Feastables

A new formula Feastables bar

In January 2022, MrBeast started a snack company called Feastables. It began by selling chocolate bars called MrBeast Bar. When it launched, there was a contest with over $1 million in prizes. Some winners got a chance to compete for a chocolate factory in a video, similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The video was released in June 2022, and the winner chose between the chocolate factory or $500,000 cash. Feastables made $10 million in its first few months.

In February 2024, Feastables changed its chocolate bars, giving them a new shape and recipe.

Lunchly

Lunchly-brand "nacho chips with queso blanco and salsa" snack kit

In September 2024, MrBeast announced a new snack brand called Lunchly. He created it with fellow YouTubers Olajide "KSI" Olatunji and Logan Paul. Lunchly offers snack kits that include Prime drinks and Feastables chocolate bars, along with other snacks like turkey and crackers, nachos, or pizza.

Other Ventures

MrBeast has invested in a tech company called Backbone, which makes phone controllers. He also partnered with a financial network to create Juice Funds, an investment fund for content creators. In November 2022, he worked with East Carolina University to create a course about making YouTube content. He also appeared as a guest judge on Gordon Ramsay's Food Stars show in May 2023.

In 2023, a free streaming channel called Mr. Beast started airing on the Roku Channel. It shows his previously released YouTube videos.

Beast Games

In March 2024, MrBeast and Amazon MGM Studios announced a new reality competition series called Beast Games. It was planned to be the biggest reality competition ever, with 1,000 contestants competing for a $5 million cash prize. The show debuted on Amazon Prime Video on December 19, 2024. It became Prime Video's most-watched unscripted series.

The show faced some criticism regarding the conditions for contestants during filming. Some contestants reported injuries and being removed from the set. MrBeast explained that unexpected issues like extreme weather and computer problems caused difficulties.

Giving Back: Philanthropy

#TeamTrees

Team Trees

In October 2019, MrBeast and fellow YouTuber Mark Rober started a fundraising event called #TeamTrees. Their goal was to raise $20 million for the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees. For every dollar donated, one tree would be planted. Many other YouTubers helped spread the word.

By December 2019, they had reached their $20 million goal. Big donations came from people like Elon Musk and companies like Discovery. As of June 2025, over 24.8 million trees have been planted.

#TeamSeas

Team Seas

In October 2021, MrBeast and Mark Rober organized another project called #TeamSeas. This time, they aimed to raise $30 million to remove plastic and waste from oceans, rivers, and beaches. The money goes to the Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup. Many content creators joined to promote this fundraiser.

As of June 2025, over $34 million has been raised for #TeamSeas.

Beast Philanthropy

Greenville received Thanksgiving meals as part of an initiative by Beast Philanthropy and Jennie-O.

In September 2020, MrBeast created a YouTube channel called Beast Philanthropy. He announced that this channel would be dedicated to charity and a food bank. The channel's description says that 100% of its ad revenue, brand deals, and merchandise sales go to charity.

Some of Beast Philanthropy's projects include giving away 10,000 turkeys for Thanksgiving, donating 20,000 shoes to children in Africa, building 100 wells for clean water in Africa, and giving $300,000 worth of technology to schools. MrBeast has also helped 1,000 blind people see again, 1,000 deaf people hear again, and 2,000 people walk again.

Personal Life

MrBeast describes himself as an introvert. He has mentioned that it can be hard for him to have a social life because he focuses so much on his YouTube work.

He began dating gaming streamer Thea Booysen in 2022. On January 1, 2025, he announced that they got engaged on December 25, 2024.

In June 2023, after the Titan submersible had an accident, MrBeast said he had been invited on that expedition but had decided not to go.

Views on Social Issues

MrBeast has stated that he tries to stay out of politics because he wants his charity work to reach everyone. He has said he would consider running for president in the future when he is older.

In the past, MrBeast used some inappropriate language on social media. He later removed these posts, and a spokesperson said he has "grown up and matured" since then. In April 2023, when his friend and employee Ava Kris Tyson shared that she was transitioning, MrBeast defended her against negative comments. He stated that he supports his friend and dislikes transphobia.

Film and Music Appearances

Films

Music Videos

Awards and Recognitions

Publications and Records

See also

In Spanish: MrBeast para niños

• List of YouTubers
• List of most-subscribed YouTube channels
• List of most-followed TikTok accounts