MrBeast

MrBeast
MrBeast in 2026
Personal information
Born
James Stephen Donaldson

(1998-05-07) May 7, 1998 (age 28)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
OriginGreenville, North Carolina, U.S.
Other names
  • Jimmy Donaldson
  • MrBeast6000
EducationGreenville Christian Academy
Occupations
Partners
  • Maddy Spidell (2019–2022)
  • Thea Booysen (2022–present)
Signature
Websitemrbeast.store
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2012–present
Genres
Subscribers
  • 522.4 million (main channel)
  • 713 million (combined)
Total views
  • 143 billion (main channel)
  • 177 billion (combined)
Associated acts
Jimmy Donaldson's voice
At the 2022 Kids' Choice Awards
Recorded April 2022
Last updated: Oct 23, 2026

James Stephen "Jimmy" Donaldson (born May 7, 1998), more commonly known as MrBeast, is an American YouTuber. He is known for his expensive stunts and philanthropy. He is the most subscribed creator on YouTube, passing T-Series on June 1, 2024. He has been seen as the creator of a new genre of YouTube videos that are expensive stunts.

He is also the co-creator of Team Trees, a fundraiser for the Arbor Day Foundation which has raised over $24 million, and Team Seas, a fundraiser for Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup.

Life

He was born in Wichita, Kansas. Donaldson began posting videos to YouTube in early 2012 at the age of 13.

Donaldson wearing black shirt in January 2018

Under the name of "MrBeast6000", his early content ranged from Let's Plays to "videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers".

Some of his philanthropy includes paying for eye surgery for 1,000 people, giving large amounts of money to random people on the streets.

YouTube Career

MrBeast uploaded his first video on his YouTube Channel in February 2012, at the age of 13, under the name of "MrBeast6000". His early content ranged from Gaming, he uploaded videos about Minecraft and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, videos estimating the wealth of other YouTubers, videos that offered tips to upcoming YouTube creators and commentary on YouTube drama.

In 2021 he released the most popular video on his channel so far: $456,000 Squid Game In Real Life. As of August 2025 it has recieved 860 million views.

His videos are mostly on giving large amounts of money to people and challenges where the winning participant will receive a large amount of money.

MrBeast has an estimated net worth of $1 billion USD as per 2025 updates.

Notes

  1. ↑ Only the 5 main channels are included: MrBeast, MrBeast Gaming, Beast Reacts, MrBeast 2 (formerly MrBeast Shorts) and Beast Philanthropy.
  2. ↑ Sources conflict on the spelling of Donaldson's middle name. Some spell it "Steven", while others spell it "Stephen". Donaldson's business filing lists his legal name as "James Stephen Donaldson". In October 2022, one of Donaldson's staff members stated Donaldson's full name was "James Stephen Donaldson".

References

  1. ↑ YouTube star, Greenville's own MrBeast rethinks old notions of philanthropy Archived July 18, 2022, at the Wayback Machine. Wnct.com. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  2. ↑ Cheong, Charissa. "Everything we know about MrBeast's rumored relationship with a Twitch streamer who says she met him 'by accident'". Insider. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Mussen, Maddy (June 29, 2023). "MrBeast: the YouTuber on track to become a billionaire". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "About MrBeast". YouTube.
  5. ↑ Karl, Chris (November 30, 2021). "How MrBeast's Squid Game Was Made Revealed In BTS Video". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  6. ↑ Asuncion, Joseph (December 3, 2021). "MrBeast's viral Squid Game video is breaking every YouTube record | ONE Esports". ONE Esports. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ Singh, Ishan (November 30, 2021). "Inside YouTuber MrBeast's real-life Squid Game – that cost US$3.5 million". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ India Today Lifestyle Desk. "Is YouTuber MrBeast really going to die in 3 years? Here's the truth". India Today. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ North Carolina Secretary of State. "Registered Agent James Stephen Donaldson". sosnc.gov. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
  10. ↑ MrBeastStaff (October 23, 2022). "James Stephen Donaldson". r/MrBeast. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  11. ↑ Leskin, Paige (December 12, 2019). "21-year-old YouTuber MrBeast is one of the most-viewed YouTube creators in 2019 — check out how he got his start and found success with elaborate stunts and giveaways". Business Insider. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
  12. ↑ McMahon, Liv (June 3, 2024). "MrBeast: YouTuber topples T-Series for most subscribers". www.bbc.com. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  13. ↑ Alexander, Julia (October 25, 2019). "MrBeast changed YouTube and launched an entire genre of expensive stunt content". The Verge. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Help Us Plant 20 Million Trees - Join #TeamTrees". teamtrees.org. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  15. ↑ Leskin, Paige (December 19, 2019). "YouTuber MrBeast's tree-planting campaign reached its goal of raising $20 million. Here's the list of prominent people who have donated, including Elon Musk, Jeffree Star, and even the CEO of YouTube". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 9, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  16. ↑ "Help us remove 30 million pounds of trash by January 1st, 2022 - Join #TeamSeas". teamseas.org. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Night Media Signs Top Influencer, "MrBeast"". Business Wire. January 23, 2019. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  18. ↑ "MrBeast Youtube Channel Income, Net Worth and Estimated Earnings". October 12, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  19. ↑ Knight, Dark (May 26, 2025). "MrBeast Net Worth 2025 Update: MrBeast Becomes Youngest Self-Made Billionaire". News18. Retrieved May 26, 2025.

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