The biggest YouTuber in the world Jimmy MrBeast
Donaldson incurs losses on every project with his main channel on YouTube. But that’s exactly what he wants. Behind it lies an empire that needs very different currencies: reach and image.
Who is it about? Jimmy MrBeast
Donaldson started his YouTube channel in 2012, and like many others at the time, his first videos were Let’s Plays. MrBeast finally achieved his breakthrough in 2017, and now, in March 2025, he has over 471 million subscribers. This makes him the most subscribed channel on the platform (Source: nindo.de).
Most of the videos on his main channel are generally associated with a large budget, in which he presents participants with extraordinary challenges. They are filmed in crazy locations and participants are offered a high-value prize or sums, often in the six-figure range.
One might think that MrBeast earns millions from ad revenue with this channel on YouTube. After all, most of his YouTube videos are ad-friendly and get a lot of clicks. But that’s not the case; on the contrary: According to a report by Quartz magazine, MrBeast even incurs a loss with every main channel video that he produces and uploads.
However, these losses are accounted for because there is a sophisticated machinery behind the YouTuber.
In Germany, Gronkh was the number 1 on YouTube for a long time:
This is how MrBeast’s company works
What is behind MrBeast? MrBeast is no longer an ordinary YouTuber. He is an entrepreneur who has built a multi-million dollar business with his reach and wants to continue to build it. He owns the company Beast Industries
, which encompasses everything:
- YouTube videos on all channels
- Feastables – chocolate bars
- Lunchly – a snack box that he created together with YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI
- Beast toys
This company is worth 5 billion dollars but incurs losses with the videos on the MrBeast main channel. This main channel is not meant to make money, but rather to generate more reach.
The cuts, titles, and even the thumbnails of the videos are designed to achieve the highest possible views. Additionally, MrBeast has his videos translated into other languages with the help of YouTube to be accessible to even more people. This also applies to his numerous auxiliary channels, such as Beast Gaming
or MrBeast 2
.
MrBeast focuses on consumption
How does MrBeast make a profit? The fame that MrBeast generates through his YouTube presence can be used to draw new people to his products. After all, people know him from YouTube, where he does extraordinary projects, often philanthropic, and thus there is a certain trust relationship that can lead to a purchasing decision.
His products also find their way into his YouTube videos, which achieve views in the hundreds of millions. MrBeast, or simply Beast
, thus becomes a brand that can be found in many different consumer sectors.
In the future, MrBeast plans to enter many more sectors. Recently, for example, he bought the financial app Step, as STERN reported. It is not just a bank in mobile form but includes other functions like crypto and loans.
MrBeast is not without criticism
In 2023, the YouTuber jacksepticeye caused a stir with a statement: He believes MrBeast has ruined YouTube: Because it was more about clicks, money, and popularity than about having fun.
(Source: YouTube from minute 09:54). MrBeast is not a YouTuber who uses YouTube as a sort of diary for his passion but rather to extract as much reach as possible from it.
This character of YouTube, it must be said fairly, has been significantly less represented for a long time. However, MrBeast is considered a prominent example of this commercial character of the platform.
Additionally, other controversies have surrounded the YouTuber and entrepreneur in recent years:
- In the past, allegations were made against an employee of MrBeast, Ava Tyson, who was accused of sexually abusing teenagers. However, this charge was dropped according to the BBC.
- A class-action lawsuit arose against the entrepreneur regarding the Beast Games, a game show that MrBeast hosted on Amazon Prime Video. As BBC reported, there were several alleged incidents of sexual harassment and unsafe conditions, according to the participants.
- In June 2025, MrBeast released an AI tool that was supposed to make it easier for content creators to create thumbnails. For that, the AI had to be given a prompt and a template, that is, the thumbnail of another YouTuber, to generate another thumbnail from it. This caused a major outcry within the community, especially among designers, whose profession was thus in jeopardy. MrBeast then deleted the AI tool (Source: BBC).
- Lunchly had mold on the cheese in many samples, which led many to question the product (Source: Forbes).
MrBeast shows that even the best content alone is hardly enough to work profitably in the long run. Many influencers are therefore increasingly relying on alternative sources of income, such as chips or drinks.
Moreover, MrBeast demonstrates how one can build an entire empire around YouTube and the reach it generates. Not only does money seem to be a necessary currency for this, but also reach.
Leading such an empire can be difficult for anyone. It comes with great responsibility and also enormous pressure. MrBeast himself once said that no one would want the life he leads: He became a billionaire with YouTube, now he says: No one wants the life he leads
