[Lifestyle] Meet the 22-year-old YouTube star MrBeast, who's famous for giving away millions of dollars to strangers

[Neo1524]

 

At just 22 years old, Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast, is one of the most-viewed and highest-paid creators on YouTube.

He's known for such stunts as reading every word in the dictionary, turning a backyard into a ballpit, buying everything in a store, and giving away a million dollars but only giving people one minute to spend it. His ambitious challenges and money-giveaways have helped him grow his channel to roughly 53 million subscribers.

On Tuesday, the New York Times published a damning article about Donaldson, where former employees described a toxic work environment.

The portrayal is in deep contrast with his wholesome public image.

Here's how MrBeast rose to fame.

 

 

Donaldson uploaded his first YouTube in February 2012, when he was just 13 years old.

MrBeast in a video in 2015.  MrBeast/YouTube

The teenager began his YouTube career posting videos under the username "MrBeast6000." For the first few years, Donaldson attempted, unsuccessfully, to master the YouTube algorithm by creating the content he thought would attract the largest audience.

Source: Newsweek, Casey Neistat on YouTube

 

 

As MrBeast attempted to game YouTube's algorithm, the aspiring YouTuber went through stages of trends on his channel: funny compilations of highlights in playing "Minecraft" and "Call of Duty," estimating YouTubers' wealth, offering tips and tricks to aspiring creators, and commentating on YouTuber drama. MrBeast himself made very few appearances in his videos in the early days.

MrBeast playing "Call of Duty" on his channel in 2014.  MrBeast/YouTube

Source: Newsweek

 

MrBeast started to gain a following in 2015 and 2016 thanks to his "worst intros" series of videos, which rounded up and poked fun at YouTuber introductions he discovered on the platform. By mid-2016, MrBeast hit 30,000 subscribers.

MrBeast/YouTube

Source: MrBeast on YouTube

 

 

In late 2016, MrBeast enrolled in college, although the details of his higher education are hard to come by. The YouTuber said he lasted only two weeks in college before he dropped out, telling his mom: "I'd rather be poor than do anything beside YouTube." His mom made him move out of his childhood home North Carolina at 18 because, "she loves me and just wanted me to be successful," MrBeast later said.

MrBeast/YouTube

Source: MrBeast on Twitter

 

MrBeast first went viral in January 2017, when he uploaded a video showing himself counting to 100,000 — which he later revealed took him 44 hours. "I just really wanted it," MrBeast later said about the challenge. "I had dropped out of college, I wasn't really making much. I knew it would go viral."

After that first video went viral, MrBeast found what the YouTube algorithm liked. He quickly amassed more views with similar stunts, like spinning a fidget spinner for 24 hours and watching Jake Paul's "It's Everyday Bro" music video for 10 hours straight. By November 2017, MrBeast reached 1 million subscribers.

 

Casey Neistat/YouTube

Source: MrBeast on Twitter

 

 

Now, MrBeast has a few types of videos that serve as his bread-and-butter on his channel.

 

MrBeast, left, watching over a challenge competing for $1 million.  MrBeast/YouTube

He still puts on exhausting, hours-long stunts — which have been referred to as "junklord YouTube" — as well as last-person-to-leave challenges in which he gives out thousands of dollars. These videos' titles range from "Going Through the Same Drive Thru 1,000 Times" to "Last To Remove Hand, Gets Lamborghini Challenge."

Source: The Verge

 

 

MrBeast also puts on attention-grabbing donation and charity stunts.

MrBeast donating $10,000 to a Twitch streamer with 0 views.  MrBeast/YouTube

He once opened up a car dealership where he gave out cars for free, and is known to dole out thousands of dollars to small streamers on Twitch and YouTube, as well as to waitresses and Uber drivers in person.

 

As Donaldson has grown his channel, he was able to hire four of his childhood friends — Chris, Chandler, Garret, and Jake — to work for him and his YouTube channel.

 

 

By December 2018, MrBeast had given out $1 million through his outlandish stunts, earning him the title of "YouTube's biggest philanthropist."MrBeast has been credited with helping to launch a new style of expensive stunt videos on YouTube in which creators pull off elaborate challenges and large-scale sponsored giveaways.However, MrBeast's success hasn't come without controversy.MrBeast has also been accused of giving away fake money after critics found that bills used in a November 2019 video were not of legal tender.Over the years, MrBeast has revealed a few details about his life.

The 22-year-old has shared that he has Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. In June 2019, MrBeast first shared on Instagram he was dating Maddy Spidell. "i don't want mr beast for his money, just want a bf with good taste in anime who can make me laugh," Spidell wrote on Twitter the month before

In late 2018, MrBeast harnessed his notoriety for elaborate stunts to throw his support behind PewDiePie, the po[CENSORED]r YouTuber who was locked in a battle for the spot as the most-subscribed-to YouTube channel (a title he's since lost to T-Series).

In late 2019, MrBeast launched — and successfully completed — a fundraising campaign called #TeamTrees to plant 20 million trees by the end of the year.

The campaign gathered the support of more than 600 influencers and received donations from tech execs like Elon Musk and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, and YouTube stars like Jeffree Star and PewDiePie.

Source: Business Insider, Team Trees

 

 

MrBeast was one of the most-viewed creators on all of YouTube in 2020.

 

MrBeast uses po[CENSORED]r keywords like "24-Hour" in his videos. 

He's accrued more than 10 million views on every video he's uploaded in the past two years, displaying just how successful he is at going viral. YouTube put him as the top creator of 2020, beating out other viral sensations like Dream and James Charles. His net worth isn't publicly available, but he's said that most of his $1 million donations are funded by brand deals.

SOURCE