How YouTube star MrBeast built a business that was tracking for $700 million in yearly revenue
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video
- Jimmy Donaldson, who goes by MrBeast online, has become a household name.
- Donaldson started his YouTube channel in 2012 and now has over 338 million subscribers.
- Beyond YouTube, Donaldson owns a sprawling business including products and a show on Amazon.
If you've been online, then it's nearly impossible you've avoided the internet's biggest star: MrBeast.
MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, has an enormous audience online, including over 338 million YouTube subscribers. That makes him the top creator on the platform.
Read: What it's like to work for MrBeast, according to former employees
He posted his first video in 2012 and has dozens of viral videos, including his recreation of Netflix's "Squid Games," which has over 670 million views. He runs several YouTube channels, from MrBeast Gaming to channels dubbed in other languages like Spanish, French, Russian, and Arabic.
Donaldson earns money through brand sponsorships, YouTube ad revenue, merchandise, content licensing, syndication, and more. Documents filed in court in October revealed 163 slides of MrBeast's pitches for brands, including Ford, CarMax, and Walmart.
Read: Court documents reveal how MrBeast pitches brands on sponsoring his YouTube empire
Donaldson's massive business also includes a chocolate and snack brand called Feastables and a charity organization.
Read: YouTube star MrBeast expects to earn 700 million in revenue this year
Instead of packing up and moving to Hollywood when he made it big, Donaldson decided to grow his business from his hometown in Greenville, North Carolina.
Read: In Greenville, North Carolina, everyone has a MrBeast story
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Amazon Prime Video took a chance on the YouTuber with a 10-episode show
Donaldson's latest venture is a 10-episode physical competition show on Amazon Prime Video in which contestants compete for a $5 million prize. Earlier this year, discourse and controversy arose around production for the show, which is called "Beast Games."
Read: The Internet's love affair with YouTube's biggest star is showing cracks
Business Insider previously spoke with two Amazon insiders who said that the show faced risks from the start and that Amazon agreed to give Donaldson creative control and approval over ad sponsors.
Read: How Amazon's massive TV deal with YouTube's top star turned sour
BI also viewed documents that contestants of the show's preliminary round were asked to agree to. The terms prohibit contestants from disclosing information about the show, and those who break the agreement before the last episode airs must pay the producer and network $500,000 for each breach, the documents said.
Read: Leaked MrBeast docs reveal "Beast Games" contestant terms
Read more about Donaldson's success, controversies, and business:
- MrBeast acquired a startup that aims to be the LinkedIn for the creator economy
- MrBeast shares his thumbnail strategy and advice to creators
- MrBeast cut ties with his talent management firm Night Media