Jimmy Donaldson, the social media icon better known to his millions of fans as MrBeast, has enjoyed exponential growth in recent weeks—defying an influx of negative headlines that have plagued him over the past several months.
Aged just 26, Donaldson holds the record for the most subscribers on YouTube (330 million at the time of writing). His faithful army of fans have tuned in to watch everything from big-budget, elaborate stunts to charitable acts, such as giving away cash, houses, and cars, and even paying for people’s medical procedures.
There’s plenty of revenue to give away. In January 2022, Forbes ranked Donaldson as the highest-earning content creator, with an estimated annual income of $54 million, drawn mostly from ads on his YouTube videos.
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His most popular video to date—a 2021 real-life recreation of Squid Game, featuring a $456,000 prize for the winner—has garnered more than 670 million views as of press time. The total population of the U.S. stands at 333 million.
And he may break his own record yet. SocialBlade, a social media analytics tracker, has reported that Donaldson’s videos, which cost millions to produce, have pulled in more than 3 billion views in the last 30 days alone. In this same timeframe, his YouTube follower count has increased by an eye-watering 8 million.
Photo Illustration by Newsweek/Getty Images
Yet as 2024 draws to a close, it’s unclear whether Donaldson will crown this as a banner year or be relieved to see the back of it, after unenviably finding himself in the crosshairs of scandal.
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This past week, it was revealed that Donaldson had been sued by a former producer on his platform, amid allegations that the worker had not been paid overtime while working for his Greenville, North Carolina-based company.
Brittany Carter said in her November 18 complaint that she “regularly worked hours in excess of forty hours per week. In fact, she averaged approximately 70 to 75 hours per week working for [Donaldson’s company].”
The lawsuit has alleged that Carter was “misclassified as an independent contractor to avoid paying her overtime.” Carter’s lawyers have requested a trial, and are asking for the pay purportedly owed to her, plus interest.
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When contacted by Newsweek, a spokesperson for Donaldson and an attorney for Carter declined to comment on the lawsuit. So far, Donaldson himself has also opted against publicly addressing the complaint.
Investigation
Weeks earlier, the internet personality saw the conclusion of an almost three-month investigation into sexual misconduct and inappropriate workplace conduct allegations made against employees at his company.
The probe, conducted by a firm hired by Donaldson’s company, included the review of millions of documents and messages, as well as interviews with 39 present and former employees.
The investigation came after Donaldson’s friend and frequent collaborator, Ava Kris Tyson, was accused of sending inappropriate messages online to a minor. Tyson, who stepped down from MrBeast in July after the allegations came to light, has insisted that she “never groomed anyone.” The person Tyson messaged in group is now aged 21 and has also spoken out on X against “false allegations” of grooming.
Social media personality Rosanna Pansino—who made a name for herself baking on YouTube, where she has more than 14 million subscribers—has, of late, directed much energy toward criticizing Donaldson. In recent months, she has shared allegations of unsafe work conditions during production of upcoming Amazon Prime Video reality show Beast Games, and alleged that “mold” was found in a pack of Lunchly, a food enterprise rivaling Lunchables that Donaldson launched with fellow influencers Logan Paul and KSI.
In late October, Pansino shared footage of what she presented as messages showing the discussion of “many inappropriate topics” among Donaldson and employees, including Tyson. Pansino later said in a separate X post that she had “reported what I found and my concerns to the authorities @FBI.”
When contacted via email, a representative of the FBI told Newsweek that the agency had “no comment.” At the time, Newsweek did not receive a response to a comment request sent to a business email for Pansino.
Despite the amplified claims, the MrBeast’s third-party probe ultimately found no evidence that the company “knowingly” employed people with “proclivities or histories towards illegal or questionable legal conduct.”
Donaldson shared a letter to his X (formerly Twitter) account on November 1. The missive was written to his board of directors by attorney Alex Spiro, who stated that he found “several isolated instances of workplace harassment and misconduct,” and said the company should be “swiftly terminating individuals who violated company policy regardless of their position or level within the company.”
A MrBeast spokesperson subsequently announced that between 5 to 10 employees had been dismissed from the company.
Controversy, Criticism
In April, Donaldson issued a public apology after video footage resurfaced of him using a homophobic slur during a livestream back in 2017. The clip was shared online by Pansino.
“When Jimmy was a teenager he acted like many kids and used inappropriate language while trying to be funny,” the social media star’s representative told Variety in a statement. “Over the years he has repeatedly apologized and has learned that increasing influence comes with increased responsibility to be more aware and more sensitive to the power of language.
“After making some bad jokes and other mistakes when he was younger, as an adult he has focused on engaging with the MrBeast community to work together on making a positive impact around the world.”
Two months later, in June, MrBeast spoke out again—this time in defiance of detractors who had criticized a video in which he was shown giving away new houses to families in the Caribbean and Latin America.
After he was accused of displaying a “white savior complex,” Donaldson wrote on X: “When we help people (curing 1,000 blind people, building 100 houses, 100 wells, etc.) people get mad and say I shouldn’t be doing this and governments should. Yes, ideally a YouTuber isn’t the one fixing these issues, but I’m not just gonna stand by and do nothing.”
Greg Selkoe is the co-founder and CEO of professional gaming and lifestyle media brand XSET. He previously served as president of esports and entertainment organization FaZe Clan, home to a number of content creators.
Selkoe told Newsweek that despite Donaldson’s bumps in the road, he sees him, like much of his audience, as an “earnest, sincere, and authentic guy who wants to do the right thing and wants to learn and improve.”
“MrBeast is an icon and pioneer in lifestyle and gaming related content,” he went on. “Building a multibillion-dollar brand comes with inevitable challenges. What matters is how those challenges are addressed. His track record of bringing joy to fans, raising awareness for important causes, and contributing millions to charitable initiatives demonstrates the overall positive impact of his work.”
The Show Must Go On
Throughout his workplace investigation, and the headlines that trailed it, business has continued for Donaldson, who in September unveiled a video collaboration with actor Chris Hemsworth. On November 21, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo shared a video on YouTube showing his interview with Donaldson. In less than 24 hours, it had already exceeded 19 million views—and there’s more to come.
“I also filmed my biggest video ever dropping November 30th on my channel.. it will blow your minds,” Donaldson wrote in the comments section of Ronaldo’s upload. “Ronaldo is also dropping a video on his channel then too.”
Business, it seems, is booming. Walking largely hand-in-hand, MrBeast the brand and MrBeast the person each display a storm-hardy resilience that in years past would likely have relegated to them to the pile of canceled public figures.
Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Newsweek that Donaldson’s navigation of his stumbling blocks has been a key factor in his continued popularity.
“Cancel culture is still alive and well, but in MrBeast’s case, his proactive response—announcing a third-party investigation—and his consistent focus on delivering impactful content have helped him maintain trust and loyalty,” he said. “We’re seeing a shift in how people engage with these narratives. Today’s audiences are more discerning, often weighing context, intent, and past behavior before passing judgment.
“MrBeast’s ability to weather recent controversies highlights the power of authenticity and a value-driven brand.”
Nierman, author of The Cancel Culture Curse and Crisis Averted, also cites the content that Donaldson shares as a reason for his unwavering support.
“Over the years, he’s cultivated immense goodwill through his philanthropy and creative content, which resonates with viewers,” he explained. “When a public figure builds a reputation rooted in positivity and generosity, their audience is often more forgiving during challenging times.”
“His resilience reflects how consistency, transparency, and a strong personal narrative are some of the best defenses against reputational hazards,” Nierman added.
Politics at Play?
The re-election of Donald Trump in the recently concluded election cycle could be seen as a rejection of the idea that anybody can be canceled today for what they say or how they are perceived, including where accountability is expected.
While the political right had long burdened the left with ownership of so-called cancel culture, last year’s conservative-led culture wars against such brands as Bud Light and Target over their support of LGBTQ+ issues showed that the weight is often carried by both sides of the aisle.
Trump is arguably a prime candidate for cancelation, given his penchant for outraging detractors with an unrelenting stream of social posts that use language not traditionally seen as presidentially acceptable. And that’s not to mention Trump’s plethora of lawsuits legal battles. Instead, he this year made history as the first ever convicted felon to be elected into office as president.
Does Donaldson’s buoyance have anything to do with the what appears to be a cultural shift? Matt Yanofsky, co-founder and CEO of Canadian ad and PR agency The Moment Lab, thinks so—but only to an extent.
Yanofsky told Newsweek that “times have changed. [Donaldson’s] Gen Z audience voted for Trump. They don’t care about cancel culture.”
“With that said, I don’t believe the political climate shift has anything to do with him coming out unscathed,” he added of Donaldson. “It’s the size of his brand. Some of the challenges he’s set up—his imitation of Squid Games, for example—gain more views and traction than the major TV networks combined.
“The fact that this come-up has happened in front of everyone’s eyes over the years has created a direct feeling of association/being along for the ride.”
For Jason Mudd, CEO and managing partner at Axia Public Relations, it’s clear cut. “Cultural and political shifts have contributed to [Donaldson’s unaffected success],” he told Newsweek. “There’s a growing countermovement against cancel culture, where audiences reject what they see as overly punitive measures.
“This has created space for public figures like MrBeast to address controversies without losing their platforms, provided they demonstrate accountability.”
Sarah Schmidt, president of Interdependence Public Relations, agrees.
“We’re witnessing a cultural shift in real time: people are over cancel culture. In a world where we’re constantly being fed false, contradictory, or politically charged information, audiences are tuning out the noise,” Schmidt told Newsweek. “They turn to Mr. Beast to escape, be entertained, and see some good in the world. Audiences reward authenticity and value and he’s providing that.”
Mike Fahey, CEO and founder of Fahey Communications, a national PR firm specializing in political campaigns, counters that it’s far from cut and dry when it comes to looking at the effect the political landscape may or may not have had on Donaldson’s reception.
“When it is suggested that MrBeast [may have] faced harsher critics in the past, it becomes challenging to pin this down to anything as clear-cut as a change in the political winds,” Fahey, who served as press secretary for Steve Laffey during his presidential campaign in 2023, told Newsweek.
“The phenomenon we call ‘cancel culture’ is a complex and clamorous thing, and its alleged impacts are colored heavily by the judgment of the person doing the coloring. What’s really behind MrBeast’s continued success may just come down to his favorable balance sheet with the public and the content he keeps putting out. Both have ensured that the power of his online persona remains as strong as ever.”
