Who is MrBeast and why is he so popular?

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast online, is an American YouTube personality, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, who has recently become only the second creator to reach 100 million subscribers.

The 24-year-old pioneered a content genre focusing on expensive stunts, challenges and donations. The more popular he gets, the more money he gives away.

The YouTube star documented his live reaction to hitting the milestone on a YouTube stream, where he thanked everyone for their support.

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"I appreciate every single one of you that watches the videos. This is literally all I've ever done with my life," he said, adding, "All I do is wake up every day and obsess over how to make the best videos possible. It's all I care about. It's the only thing that's ever really made me happy."

He also tweeted a celebratory message on Twitter to express his gratitude, saying, "I'm grateful I get to do this all day everyday," adding in a separate post: "No matter how big I get I'll never own a mansion, yacht, Lamborghini etc. All I want is to make the best videos possible and help as many people as I can while doing it."

But where did it all begin?

100 Million Subscriber Livestream!www.youtube.com

Who is MrBeast?

Donaldson (aka MrBeast) was born in Wichita, Kansas, on May 7, 1998.

The YouTuber first joined the platform in February 2012, aged 13. His earlier videos focused on video game footage and estimated net worths of fellow YouTube stars.

He later found viral fame when a video of him counting to 100,000 made waves across YouTube after taking 40 hours to complete.

Donaldson soon joined a competition from PewDiePie to become the most-subscribed channel on YouTube.

Flash forward to 2022, Donaldson is now one of the most-viewed and highest-paid creators on YouTube. He has since hired many of his childhood friends to help him grow his brand with a team of approximately 60 people.

He also runs several other YouTube channels, including Beast Reacts, MrBeast Gaming, MrBeast Shorts, and a philanthropy channel.

How many subscribers does MrBeast have?

The YouTuber is the second creator to hit 100 million subscribers on the platform after joining YouTube in February 2012. Donaldson hit the milestone on July 28 and is now only 11 million followers behind PewDiePie, real name is Felix Kjellberg, who takes the top spot.

He has donated over 100 cars, hosted a private island giveaway, and handed out over 100 PS4s. He even gave away $1 million (£819,600) in a single video.

What is his top-viewed YouTube video?

Donaldson's most watched video of all time is his '$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!' which garnered an impressive 277.1 million views.

One lucky winner took home $456,000 (£341,000) after winning all the challenges in a recreation of the Netflix mega-hit TV series Squid Game.

$456,000 Squid Game In Real Life!www.youtube.com

Number 079 – Tryzon - beat out 455 competitors in challenges viewers will recognise from the show, such as Red Light, Green Light, the dalgona challenge, tug of war, marbles and the glass stepping stones to bag the jackpot.

(They skipped out on the part from the show where the contestants are killed... for obvious reasons).

Are there any controversies?

The viral sensation has also shared a clip that saw him pay for cataract removal for 1,000 people who could not afford surgery to cure their blindness.

His YouTube video saw Donaldson work with ophthalmologist and surgeon Jeff Levenson, who runs the Gift of Sight program in Florida, helping people by providing free cataract surgery to people who need it most.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote: "I don’t understand why curable blindness is a thing. Why don’t governments step in and help?

"Even if you’re thinking purely from a financial standpoint it’s hard to see how they don’t roi on taxes from people being able to work again."

Months later, Donaldson opted to double down on his efforts by helping deaf people "hear for the first time."

The viral video was met with polarised views, with some praising the influencer while others found his gesture "harmful".

In response to a critic calling him a "scumbag," Donaldson said: "I’m sorry, I just like helping people."

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