MrBeast

Biography

Donaldson reverse-engineered YouTube like a science — years of analysing retention graphs before the stunts got big. The formula (huge stakes, real money, genuine philanthropy through Beast Philanthropy's food bank) turned him into the platform's biggest individual creator and a consumer-brands founder.

American creator Jimmy Donaldson, whose large-scale challenge and giveaway videos made his the most-subscribed individual channel on YouTube.

Known for

Elaborate YouTube stunt and philanthropy videos as Jimmy Donaldson.

Notable works & defining projects

• MrBeast (main channel)
• Beast Philanthropy
• Feastables

Notable achievements

• Became the most-subscribed individual creator on YouTube (passing T-Series in 2024 for the top overall spot)
• Co-founded Team Trees (2019) and Team Seas (2021), which each raised tens of millions for environmental causes
• Founded the Feastables snack brand and MrBeast Burger concept

Timeline

1. 2017Breakthrough with 'counting to 100,000' and escalating stunt videos
2. 2019Co-founded Team Trees, raising over $23 million to plant trees
3. 2024His channel became the most-subscribed on YouTube, passing T-Series

Did you know?

• He started on YouTube at 13 under the name MrBeast6000, studying virality obsessively before his own breakthrough
• His 2021 Squid Game recreation video became one of YouTube's most-viewed videos